
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
congruence

What allows us to lead passionate lives is congruence with our values, purpose, mission, and unique strengths. That involves first knowing those things and then being able to do things that are in line with them.
I’ve done everything I can to lead a life absolutely bursting at the seams with passion. Both of my parents were adamant that I understand myself and do things that really matter to me, because that makes the biggest difference, impacting me and others in the strongest way.
Although some people stumble onto their passion, for others it can take a lot of work. It did for me. It took learning a lot about myself. A way to go about finding passion is this: No matter what you’re doing, learn all you can about yourself and what you’re good at, so you know what you like. When you do that, passion starts to overflow.
I’m constantly adding new tools to my toolbox, so I can do better and more meaningful work. If I fall out of alignment, stepping back and looking at what matters – even using something as simple as a list of values and a purpose statement – helps me reflect and decide whether whatever’s throwing me out of line with my purpose is really worth worrying about. Is this really that big of a deal? It’s a simple question. It can also help to ask it out loud to someone close.
Another thing that helps me get back on track and stay on track is being around other passionate people. It’s a great way to keep things exciting, to realize more about what’s possible, and to test limits. When I go out and actually do things I hadn’t thought were possible, I see that reality is a little different. It changes my mind and shifts me toward thinking the sky’s the limit.
Since high school, I’ve made my life an experiment of trying to figure out what experiences are positive for me and what experiences are negative – and doing more of the former and less of the latter. It comes down to knowing myself and my own definition of success. It’s about constantly learning and seeing and knowing what I’m really good at and what my natural strengths are. If I do what’s passionate for me and you do what’s passionate for you, we can change the world.
– Scott Dinsmore


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tv host. satisfied customer. car washin' smiler.
Melissa Francis, author of Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter, hosts two daily business shows on the Fox Business Network, including Money with Melissa Francis. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Harvard University. [www.melissafrancisofficial.com]
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