
Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. [www.jackcanfield.com]

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]

Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]

Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. [www.yogaforyouth.org]

Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]

Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. [www.leilanimunter.com]

By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery's penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. [www.freetheslaves.net]

Sophie Chiche, lifebyme.com founder and curator, enjoys asking deep questions and living a life of meaning. Today she's launching Shape House, an urban sweat lodge, a place to melt away fears and fat. [www.shapehousela.com]

Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. [www.TheDailyLove.com]

Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. [www.tutu.org]

Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. [www.womenforwomen.org]

Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He's a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. [www.timetostand.com]

Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. [www.kiamiller.com]

Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. [www.simonmainwaring.com]

Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. [www.getupgirl.com]

Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He's a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. [www.candytangerine.com]

Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com
transform

When I was in my second year as an investment banker on Wall Street, I felt the calling to become a full-time monk. I quit banking and dedicated my life first to personal transformation and then to becoming an instrument for helping others with their own transformation.
The calling to become a monk started almost a year before I quit banking, but when faced with making such a drastic decision, I had to combat deep-rooted fears. A big component of that fear was about giving up a prestigious job to live a life with no money and no assurances. I had to get into touch with my own insignificance.
As I played out my fears and dreams, I began to see firsthand that money really doesn’t buy happiness. That realization didn’t come easily. I had to be very honest with myself about my motivations. My personal experience has been that insecurities come from unclean motivations disguised as clean ones.
When I was finally honest with myself, I could see things for what they were. Then I was able to work from a place of modesty and true grounding. Because I’d hit the ground, I could walk.
Feelings give us very strong clues to our underlying motivations. Once we can feel our true motivation things become very clear. I was fortunate to have a mentor with an open heart and delicate balance. In a caring and compassionate way, he guided me through my transformation, though he never told me what I should do.
Transformation is very personal. Our decisions need to come by choice, through our own realizations. Although no one can tell us what we need to do, a mentor can be crucial in helping us question our thoughts and feelings. When we open our hearts to a trustworthy person, we get to see our feelings outside of ourselves. When we speak our thoughts out loud, clarity sets in.
The love and compassion of a mentor can help us learn to accept things as they are. We learn to see the situation for what it is. Then we can be completely present in it without expecting to squeeze something out of it. That’s when we come out of a situation having learned more about ourselves. That’s when we truly transform.
– Rasanath Dasa
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