
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
shine

This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine…
When I was a little girl I sang the song This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine. I loved that song. Shining was my natural state. I remember wondering Why would anyone ever hide his or her light under a bushel? Of course, you scream, No! I’m gonna let it shine!
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I’m gonna let it shine…
Then I grew up. I went to college, found a job, married. I did (and bought) all the right things, and even though life looked glossy from the outside, my shine was missing. One day I realized I had unconsciously hidden my light under a bushel of “to do” lists, house payments, sitcoms, junk food, self-doubt, inactivity, negative self-talk, and broken commitments.
This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine…
Where had my shine gone and how could I get it back? I didn’t know. Most of my friends and family had hidden their shine under modern bushels a long time ago. I had nowhere to look but in the mirror. I read, put myself in new surroundings, got quiet, and listened.
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I’m gonna let it shine…
The more I listened, the more I came to understand how to make choices that would help me to shine brighter. I learned how to eat healthy food, surround myself with uplifting people, create meaningful goals, connect with nature, expand my comfort zone, think outside the box, and shift old limiting beliefs and patterns.
This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine…
Did it happen over night? No. Is there still work to do? Yes. But it’s now the kind of work that makes me powerful – full of power, like a charged battery ready to plug in and light something up.
Let it shine.
Let it shine.
Let it shine.
– Shannon Bindler
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