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
immediacy
Tami Simon
publisher. meditator. connecter.
Tami Simon is founder and publisher of Sounds True, an independent multimedia publishing company whose mission is to inspire, support, and serve personal transformation and spiritual awakening. [www.soundstrue.com]
I find meaning in heartful connection with people and in growing as a person – having insights that open me and allow me to be more connected with people. Over time, I’ve become more available, less defended, less armored, dropping old ropes tied around my heart and releasing them. This freeing of my heart has allowed me to become more intimate, relating to people in a feeling way.
The ability to fully connect with another person was something I’d always longed for and which I only recently feel like I’ve been starting to live. At some point, I began to be aware of various defenses and so I started meditating from a more embodied perspective. And I saw how that resulted in greater intimacy in my life.
I’ve been working with the phrase embodied immediacy as a way to return to a sense of aliveness, fullness, and meaning. Immediacy is about being fully with what’s happening versus distracted by thoughts about what else could be or might be. If I’m not in a state of embodied immediacy, my gut tends to clench and my feet tend to curl up, like little animals.
I’ve noticed that when I’m irritated or in meetings where we’re solving problems and I’m getting feedback, it’s easy to enter a defensive state. When I see that state arising, if I soften my belly, drop my shoulders, plant my feet flat on the floor, and breathe calmly through the bottoms of my feet. It really helps. When I relax my feet intentionally, I become more spacious and can hold that space so that I’m helpful and the meeting continues to unfold in a way that’s grounded.
I have a very, very packed calendar. I go in to the SoundsTrue office at 9 a.m. and have back-to-back meetings until 5 or 5:30. Even 30 minutes for lunch is typed into my calendar. So we’ve ritualized starting each meeting with a minute of silence. I find this tremendously helpful because I always know I’ll at least have that chance to reset myself, to soften and uncurl.
When I realize I’m feeling stressed out or unfulfilled, embodied immediacy is my way back. Those two words put me back in touch with a feeling of being animated from the inside, of inhabiting myself … and finding a heartful connection.
– Tami Simon
Explore More Meaning
-
Author. Speaker. Empowerer.
Best-selling author Mary Morrissey has been a consultant for over 30 years. Her transformational talks and seminars have made her one of the world's leading teachers in the human potential movement. [www.marymorrissey.com]
-
culinary artist. gracious foodie. grapefruit huller.
Benjamin Atkinson launched The Dry Gourmet to re-make cooking wines. Along the way, he re-connected with food and grace. It is a journey he recommends for anyone. [www.drygourmet.com/the-story]
-
life coach. motivational speaker. glass half-fullist.
Gabrielle Bernstein is a motivational speaker, life coach, and author. In 2008, she launched the social networking site HerFuture.com to help young women find mentors. [http://gabbyb.tv]
-
kin collaborator. judgement dropper. purity seeker.
Kern Konwiser is a writer, director, and producer who, along with his brother, has collaborated with the industry's most influential artists to create award-winning features in different media. [www.konwiserbros.com]
-
body healer. fear overcomer. joy indulger.
Mary Beth LaRue is a yoga instructor and writer whose mission is to inspire others to live their best life, and to fully inhabit, enjoy, and heal their bodies and minds through yoga and intention-setting. [www.mblarue.com]
-
international consultant. bestselling author. mr. fabulous.
Bestselling author Stan Slap is President of the international consulting company slap, specializing in achieving maximum commitment in business cultures and making the business case for humanity. [www.slapcompany.com]
-
former dieter. current helper. self acceptance discoverer.
Julie M. Simon, MA, MBA, MFT is a psychotherapist, life coach, personal trainer, speaker and author of The Emotional Eater’s Repair Manual: A Practical Guide for Putting an End to Overeating and Dieting, based on her 12 Week Program. [www.overeatingrecovery.com]
-
Songwriter. Painter. Dreamer.
Songwriter, novelist, and painter Pol Serge Kakon was born in Mogador (now Essaouira). He founded The Drunken Boat, in Paris, which became a mecca for poetry and song. [www.polsergekakon.com]
- More
Comments