The Benefits of Volunteering
Experience and research show that while volunteering is good in and of itself, volunteers may receive as much or more than they give. Some of the benefits: it keeps people active; leads to new...
View ArticleSo No One Dies Alone
Alison Bunce, an award-winning nurse, has pioneered a community that aims to provide companionship to individuals in their last hours. Originating from the No One Dies Alone (NODA) program in the...
View ArticleIce Cream Aunties Bring Joy and Healing
A devastating and highly destructive fire last year traumatized people in Lahaina on the island of Maui. Some residents were fearful of coming out of their places of refuge, even when essentials were...
View ArticleDo You Find Belonging in Groups or Communities?
In this thought-provoking article by Shanna B. Tiayon, the author explores the nuanced differences between groups and communities. She reflects on her personal experiences and explains that while...
View ArticleCircles in the Sand
Denny Dyke is a sand artist who creates elaborate sand labyrinths on the coast of Southern Oregon. He explains that he began creating them as a solo meditation practice “that I started years ago of...
View ArticleIris Murdoch: How to See More Clearly and Love More Purely
Maria Popova explores essays by Iris Murdoch around self-knowledge and relationships. She stresses that self-knowledge is a lifetime journey. When we do not see progress, or fail in our strivings, we...
View ArticleA Listening Room in Munich for a Restless Urban Society
A tiny kiosk of a building is open in Munich – not for consumption or business, but simply for listening. “Deep Listeners” welcome passers-by to do “nothing more and nothing less than to start a...
View ArticleSpiral Dance â A Conversation with Mary King
Mary King's journey into art was indirect. At Bryn Mawr, she majored in medieval, religious philosophy and also studied dance with Martha Graham. In art, she discovered a vehicle for giving form to her...
View ArticleThe Art of Healing: How Creativity is Changing NHS Mental Health
Artist Tim Shaw and his partner, Niamh White, a curator, visited a close friend in a mental health unit in South West London. They described it as a “really inhumane, cold, clinical space.” They set...
View ArticleFive Ways to Tap Into Other Peopleâs Wisdom
People are “walking around with valuable insights and information that could help us personally and professionally.” Yet, for many reasons, we may not tap into that vast knowledge, and that failure is...
View ArticleHow âPollinator Pathmakerâ Can Help Us See Like a Bee
British artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg was asked to design a sculpture to raise awareness about declining populations of pollinators. After intensive research, she decided: “Instead of making a...
View ArticleCrafting Gives Greater Life Satisfaction, Survey Finds
Arts and crafts have long been recommended for improving mental health. New research suggests that everyone could benefit from creative projects such as painting, pottery, and photography. The studies...
View ArticleConversation with Bebe Barrett: Seen and Unseen
"Walking around a turn, I couldn't believe what I saw. A house, and its car parked in front, wildly decorated in hand-painted, blue script with a mystical flavor. The sight could not have been more...
View ArticleArun-dada: I Just Love Thy Silently
Arun Bhatt, lovingly called "Arun-dada", dedicated his life to simplicity, service, and nonviolence. Born as the son of freedom fighters, Arun-dada spent parts of his childhood in jails, an unlikely...
View ArticleThe Londoners Walking Their Way to Better Mental Health
Therapists are creating walking groups to “support people outside of the therapy room, getting us outdoors, off our phones and connecting with new people.” They create intentionality by asking people...
View ArticleWhat Makes Someone Wise? A Global Study Explores.
Unlike previous research that focused mainly on Europe and the United States, a recent study spanned across five continents and eleven countries to analyze perceptions of wisdom. Two dimensions emerged...
View ArticleFinishing First: What It Really Means to Win
Scholars and an Olympian explore the importance of purpose and deeper meaning around the topics of performing and winning. “Research shows that having a strong sense of purpose not only helps guide and...
View ArticleAn Awe Walk
A study on the effects of an “awe walk” revealed people found awe in the ordinary such as “a friend’s generosity, a leafy tree’s play of light and shadow on a sidewalk, a song that transported them...
View ArticleResponsibility of Rocking the Boat
A 1976 industry article recommended: “Forget the pig is an animal—treat it just like a machine in a factory.” Gestation crates, so restrictive pigs could not even turn around, came to dominate. Laws...
View ArticleDr. Frederick Sontag: A Time of Searching
"Almost 60 years ago, professor Frederick Sontag opened a door I could not have opened on my own. Perhaps it saved my life. On a visit to Claremont, California 30 years later, I proposed interviewing...
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