
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
impact

I’ve always been passionate about my work, but when I started touching upon human rights, the content I was creating took on new meaning. I realized I could entertain people while creating change.
There are many people in the world who are in true need of help. Some of them need hope. Some of them need inspiration. Some of them need a reason to keep living. If my work is able to help with that in any way, then that’s my main priority.
I love using entertainment to make a difference. It makes me so happy to see my work have an impact on others. It gives me a stronger sense of purpose. Each of us has something that makes us happier than anything else in the world. It’s important to find ways to incorporate that into our lives and the lives of others.
Too often, we look to other people to find meaning when we should be looking at ourselves. We rely on others for validation because we fear being different or standing apart from the crowd. We put too much value in the wrong things or invest too much time and energy in the wrong people. We constantly search for love instead of learning to love ourselves.
To find true meaning, start from within. First, find what makes you happy, then figure out a way to share that happiness with the world. I recommend finding an area of need that’s meaningful to you and immersing yourself in that community. I read LGBT-specific news daily and acknowledge every interaction that comes my way – whether it’s an email, a Facebook wall post, or a YouTube comment. In doing so, I’ve gained an understanding of the pain and suffering the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community experiences. That constant awareness ignites me to use my work as a tool for change.
Life is filled with distractions that take us away from what’s most important. It’s easy to ignore problems that don’t directly impact us and to ignore people who need our help. When we take the time to become aware of the problems facing our communities, we’re more inclined to do something about them. Then we can use our own passions to have a positive impact on others.
– Ryan James Yezak


Explore More Meaning
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therapists. body developers. naked communicators.
Mudimo and Jane Okondo have been exploring well-being for over 20 years and are passionate about supporting people and communities, using a diverse toolkit that includes somatic and psychotherapeutic therapies, coaching, and creativity. [www.okwellbeing.com]
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