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
meditation
Sharon Salzberg
meditation leader. author. buddhist.
Bestselling author Sharon Salzberg co-founded the Insight Meditation Society. She's been a student of meditation since 1971 and has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. [www.SharonSalzberg.com]
I have a strong conviction that meditation can be of benefit to everyone. One thing I’m passionate about is using very ordinary, everyday, accessible ways of speaking about meditation, so people can experiment to see if meditation could help them.
I usually encourage setting aside 20 minutes a day to meditate, if possible. If 20 minutes can’t be found on a certain day, then try five minutes. It’s the regular, daily practice that helps us remember we have a tool to use when we’re in a situation that’s challenging.
Maybe I’m at work and there’s a contentious meeting and tempers are starting to flare. If I’ve been practicing meditation, it can help me to remember to breathe before I say anything. It can help me return to myself and remember what I want out of this situation before I speak.
When I was first learning meditation, I’d hear about a practice, like breathing through the feet, and I’d think, “That’s stupid.” But then I’d try it and say, “Wow, this makes a difference.” That’s the key issue in taking on a meditation practice: It doesn’t work if we stand on the sidelines, discussing or admiring it. We have to actually start to experiment for ourselves.
In 1970, when I was 18 and a junior in college, I went to India. I’d been interested in learning meditation for a year or so. I had an intuition that it could really help me, but I had no idea how to learn about it in the U.S. The university I was going to had an independent study program – if I created a project they approved of, I could go anywhere. I proposed a project to go to India and study meditation. They said yes, and that’s how I got started.
Sometimes I don’t feel like meditating or I feel rebellious about it. My friend Joseph Goldstein told me about something he did which was very helpful. He resolved that he wouldn’t go to sleep at night until he’d at least gotten into a meditative posture. Well, that’s only a 30-second commitment. That’s getting into a place of returning to yourself every day, just coming back for a moment – and that’s the hardest part. I do believe the everydayness of meditation is most important – or at least as close to every day as possible, even if the meditation isn’t for a very long period of time.
One of the resolves I make for my meditation practice is to offer love and kindness to myself and others. I do this sometimes when I’m waiting in line, or waiting at the doctor’s office, or getting around in airplanes, on subways, or walking along the streets of New York. Times like that aren’t formal meditation periods, but they’re great opportunities for adding meditation to my life.
– Sharon Salzberg
Explore More Meaning
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word-wise fundraiser. worldwide contributor. butterfly embracer.
Keidi Keating is an editor, ghostwriter, and publisher. She is currently living between Spain and the United States. Along with The Light, she writes books that spread Loving and Light to the world. [thelightnetwork.com/thelight]
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author. speaker. productivity guru.
David Allen is a consultant, international lecturer, bestselling author, and the founder of the David Allen Company. [www.davidco.com]
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college grad. registered nurse. little lady raiser.
Elaine Norton is a single 60-something mama. She has been Registered Nurse for over forty years, currently working for an Infectious Diseases specialist in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her daughter, Erin, lives in Los Angeles.
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heartfelt activist. truth detective. passionate space-seeker.
Bryant McGill is an internationally renowned author, essayist, speaker, and activist in the fields of self-development, personal freedom, and human rights. [www.bryantmcgill.com/vor]
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soul teacher. passionate writer. proud introvert.
Tamisha Ford, MBA, is a strengths strategist, assertiveness coach, and guide. She is the Founder of Strong & Soulful Living, which helps people embrace their strengths and spirituality in a socially saturated and distracted culture. [www.tamishaford.com]
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platoon commander. flower essencer. unraveler.
After returning home from being an Infantry Platoon Commander in the Marine Corps in Iraq, Stan Deland and Geoffrey Greenspahn launched the flower essence company Siddatech. [www.siddatech.com]
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theatre doctor. awakener. soul searcher.
Kate Sullivan is the founder of Over the Moon Productions, whose first theatrical production, Rent, sold out. The company is enjoying a successful run of their current musical, Spring Awakening. [www.overthemoonproductions.virb.com]
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teacher. scholar. spiritual evolutionary.
Craig Hamilton, founder of Integral Enlightenment, is a pioneer in the emerging field of evolutionary spirituality. He's a participant in the Synthesis Dialogues, a think tank presided over by the Dalai Lama. [www.integralenlightenment.com]
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