author. speaker. motivator.
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]
political powerhouse. media mogul. author.
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]
author. speaker. linchpin.
Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]
yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.
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]
producer. philanthropist. tv legend.
Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]
race car driver. activist. carbon free girl.
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]
Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.
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]
mom. big dreamer. lady in red.
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]
Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.
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]
singer. musician. crier.
Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]
archbishop. author. peaceful leader.
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]
author. ceo. humanitarian.
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]
speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.
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]
yogi. meditator. teacher.
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]
creator. writer. idea geek.
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]
Strategist. Writer. Life Coach.
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]
Designer. Art Director. Passionate Creator.
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]
Agent. Producer. Photography Enthusiast.
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
family
Shajen Joy Aziz
educator. author. discoverer.
Author and producer Shajen Joy Aziz is a founding member of the Southern California Association of Transformational Leaders. [www.discoverthegift.com]
What’s most meaningful to me at this point in my life are children, young adults, and families. They’re meaningful to me on many levels. I’ve always been very connected with women and with children. I’ve been a babysitter since I was young and I started working in mental health with children when I was 19. Then, when I had my daughter, I completely understood, in the most powerful way, my connection to all women and the idea that every single one of us comes from women.
That concept took me to a new level. I understood then that women and children are the foundation of our world and our environment. At that time, I’d been an educator and mental health counselor for many years, but that new understanding really shifted the way I engage with education.
One of the ways I want to continue to share this understanding is by telling stories of real people in real communities in such a way that more people see how everyone is different yet we’re all the same. I also want to help educators teach more from a place of what’s right about our children. We’re not all the same, and we don’t need to be put into boxes. We actually need to be supported in our growth as individuals. That will make a big difference.
I’ve always felt very connected to children and families. My sensitivity and ability to be emotive has helped me with those connections and has made me want to work with people and support them. There are times when I drift, though. What brings me back to those connections and to my source are activities like painting, drumming, and spending time with my family, especially my daughter. Doing those things brings me back to the here and now, to openness and connection.
I love having meaningful conversations with people. Someone I’d love to have a meaningful conversation with is Maya Angelou, who’s been a guiding light for me for many years. I’ve always felt very connected to her. I love watching videos of her and I love her words. It’s been meaningful to me to see the different forms she’s taken in her own life. I watch her transform, yet she always keeps her powerful message. To me, she stands for womankind and for voices being heard.
– Shajen Joy Aziz
Explore More Meaning
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muralist. creativity inspirer. permanent inker.
London native Shelley Cassidy's artwork has been displayed in numerous private homes, offices, upscale retail spaces, and Los Angeles International Airport. She teaches budding painters and knows there's an artist within each of us. [www.shelleycassidy.com]
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master storyteller. mythology scholar. mosaicist.
Michael Meade is a master storyteller, a scholar of mythology, and an author. He founded the Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, a network of artists, teachers, and activists fostering community. [www.mosaicvoices.org]
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leader. education producer. essence expresser.
Kelley Raleigh founded Leading by Example, a multi-media company that showcases young people who are doing good through local and international service projects, comedy web series, coaching, and workshops around the country. [www.leadingbyexample.co]
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inner connector. country hopper. boredom fighter.
Stephen Light lives to serve. He loves who he is, and this has allowed him to love others. He serves people finding their inner love and letting it shine out. [www.peopleactiv.com]
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Arielle Ford is a leader in the personal growth and contemporary spirituality movement. She’s been living, teaching, and promoting consciousness through many forms of media.
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early riser. mystic identifier. self opener.
Bob Walter is an editor and executive with several not-for-profit organizations, including the Joseph Campbell Foundation, an organization that preserves, protects, and perpetuates the work of influential American mythologist Joseph Campbell. [www.jcf.org]
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poet. photographer. lover.
Lynda Filler is a poet, author, photographer, and would-be public speaker who lives in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She has two published poetry books and is currently working on two memoir/biographies. [www.thelovefix.com]
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writer. magician. recovery embracer.
Philip Isles is a writer of middle grade children's novels and teaches children magic, Lego, and video game design. He is a member of the Magic Castle and moonlights as a close-up magician. [www.philipisles.com]
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