
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
appreciation

When I’m on in my inner game, I’m connected with my self, filled with appreciation for life, and I have access to my capabilities. When I’m not on, I’m vulnerable to stress and, on a deeper level, I feel that something is missing, regardless of the successes or failures in my outer game. Sooner or later, I long to go home.
I start the way back home by remembering three basic facts of my existence: I was born, I am alive, and I will die. Reflecting on these fundamentals gives me perspective. The most important of the three is I am alive. I was thoroughly trained to distinguish myself from everybody else, in contrast to appreciating what I have in common with everyone, so a voice in my head protests, “Yeah? Everyone else is alive, too. So what’s the big deal?”
Well, it turns out that being alive is a big deal to me. As far as I know, this is my only shot at being alive on this earth. I know from first-hand experience that the most wonderful things can be experienced simply because I am a human being, alive and breathing. For me, the best of those experiences is heartfelt gratitude for life itself.
Two tools are very useful in helping me stay on course. One is called STOP: Stop the mental, emotional, and physical momentum. STOP is an acronym that stands for Step, Think, Organize, and Proceed. I STEP back to a place of quietness separate from the unconscious momentum. I THINK: What do I really want right now? I ORGANIZE my thoughts and I PROCEED back into action. A STOP can last a second, five minutes, a few hours, or even days, depending on the circumstances. These steps are essential in keeping me conscious. This is a simple tool – the only thing difficult is remembering to use it when it’s most needed.
The second tool is one I use during a STOP. Given that the most common ways I leave my self is by trying to control things I can’t control and neglecting to control what I do have control over, I ask myself these three questions:
What don’t I control in this situation?
What am I trying to control?
What could I control that I’m not?
By remembering to STOP and to ask myself questions, I find a well within which is filled from within. I find love and gratitude. I appreciate my breath. I appreciate my life.
– Tim Gallwey
Comments