Latest Personal Growth Stories

7 Inspiring Resolutions by Spiritual Leaders We asked today’s most celebrated spiritual leaders what they resolve to do in 2009, and oddly enough, losing those stubborn last 10 lbs. never came up. Instead they provided some inspiring ways to shift our thoughts and reshape our world.

Awakened Lunch I’ve been giving myself the gift of sitting at the table and doing nothing but savoring my food. And I’ve noticed the most amazing results. I feel a whole lot calmer when I give my lunch my full attention.

How to Have a Solstice Celebration What do you do at a Winter Solstice party? Get ideas on what to serve, ways to celebrate the shortest day of the year, and how to entertain in ways that meaningfully mark the changing of the seasons. Includes a recipe for traditional wassail.

Hser Gay Paw: A Hero for Karen Hill Tribe Women Though her grandmother insisted that she not learn the skill, orphaned Hser Gay Paw couldn’t help but be enchanted with the colors and designs in Karen Hill Tribe weaving. Now she runs a project to help Karen women supplement their family’s income.

Jesus, the Novel: Chapter 1 + Q&A with Deepak Chopra Deepak Chopra captures Jesus' untold transformation during the lost years from teenage rebel to leader of men, and ultimately to the Son of God. Read Chapter 1 of 'Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment' and an interview with Chopra about his portrayal of Jesus as never before.

Study Shows Meditation Increases Compassion, Love and Forgiveness Can a quality like love, forgiveness or compassion be measured in the brain? Scientists are finding that meditation and mindfulness practices can increase your capacity for positive qualities. A fascinating look at the neuroscience of meditation.

Gaiam Life Meditation Rooms Step into a Gaiam Life Meditation Room for a few minutes to calm your senses and melt away stress. Escape your worries and experience imagery of some of the most relaxing and beautiful natural gifts on Earth, as you listen to soothing nature sounds and music.

Can You Use the Law of Attraction to Achieve Financial Success? What do financially successful people know that others don't? 'Money and the Law of Attraction' authors Esther and Jerry Hicks say the secret lies in asking yourself different questions.

Get a Life ... Coach What exactly is a life coach, and how do you find a good one? A 101 guide to how a life coach could help you, where to shop for a life coach, what kind of training a good life coach has, and what fees and results to expect.

6 Ways to Create a More Peaceful Workspace Have an ah-ha moment with Leslie Garrett's sensible, simple guide to freeing yourself from mental and actual clutter and getting more work done with less stress.

How to Give Back with a Volunteer Vacation Get the scoop on your volunteer vacation options, including popular destinations, causes, prices, pitfalls, tips and resources to help you choose the right kind of volunteer vacation for you.

A Buffalo Helps a Mom in Nepal Pay It Forward Half the population is unemployed in Nepal, and only one in three women is able to read. Yet, Sabitra overcame the odds and is now helping others in her community with help from Heifer International and a buffalo.

The Seven Miracles of Mindfulness Mindfulness is our ability to be aware of what is going on both inside us and around us. It is the continuous awareness of our bodies, emotions, and thoughts.

Conquer 5 Midlife Crises & Be Fabulous Author Marianne Williamson on how to triumph over five common catalysts for midlife crisis. She shows how you can find a sense of peace and a new you who’s cooler than ever.

Volunteer’s Solar Know-How Lights Up Learning In Rwanda Electrical engineer Brian Dempsey helps people turn sunlight into electricity every day. But he says his most brilliant work was turning sun power into power learning for 400 orphaned children in Rwanda.

Check Off Your Own Kind of 'Bucket List' The 5 Wishes Way How to make your own kind of 'Bucket List' using Gay Hendricks' Five Wishes process. Make your life more fulfilling, peaceful and meaningful now.

How to Get Comfortable in Uncomfortable Situations I'll bet there is something you'd like to do that you've been putting off for a long time. Whatever it is, I'll also bet that a fear of awkwardness is one of the main things holding you back.

Letting Go: A Guide to the Challenging Art of Moving On Change can be a wonderful thing. Even when it comes in scary packages, such as illness, it can help us appreciate the miracle of our lives. It also makes letting go very difficult.

Deepak Chopra Explains How Spirituality Can Be Funny In this refreshing new take on spirituality, bestselling author Deepak Chopra uses a fictional tale of a comedian and his unlikely mentor to show us a path back to hope, joy, and even enlightenment—with a lot of laughter along the way.

Why Is God Laughing? Is reality what we think it is? After all, rocks are solid, air sustains life, and the planet revolves on its axis. Yet these facts are not what the word illusion refers to.

What Is Intention? It all begins with intention. Intention is higher-consciousness thought. In other words, it’s using the mind for a higher purpose—higher, meaning that you are not limiting yourself to certain outcomes or procedures.

How to Become a Mindful Parent I’m constantly seeking the balance between work, family and my inner life. During my search I discovered that life is here to teach us as we go along, and parenting is just one very special course—with no textbook.

Kabbalah Secrets for a More Fulfilling Relationship Why are men and women so different? Kabbalah answers this question from a spiritual standpoint, and in the answer lies the key to loving, worthwhile relationships.

Calm Mom: 5 Ways to Be a Present Parent Composed mothering isn’t out of reach for you, say mindful mothering experts and moms who are borrowing techniques from practices like yoga and meditation to boost their calm-mom powers. Try these five tips and make being a calm mom look like child’s play.

Do You Know Where You're Going To? On my way home the other morning, I stopped at an intersection and asked myself which way I should go. I swear, the right side of my body started tingling as if someone had plugged my toe into a socket.

Everything I Need to Know About Mindfulness I Learned From Dolly Parton There are some days when I sit down to meditate and I slip right into following my breath. These days are rare. Most days, my mind is babbling away.

Avoid the Traps of Unconscious Loving Are you creating misunderstanding, hurt and conflict in your most cherished relationships — without even knowing it?

The Positive Side of Divorce: Becoming More Spiritual Author Debbie Ford reveals how a devastating divorce can be turned into a profoundly life-changing experience.

Deepak Chopra Shares The Happiness Prescription When it comes to mind-body health, spirituality and peace, Deepak Chopra has long been acknowledged as one of the world’s experts. Now he has turned his attention toward happiness.

How to Unleash Your Full Potential to Live Your Unlived Life It's easy to allow the feelings of loss and regret about the past overcome our desire to enjoy life in the present. Learn how to emerge from negative emotions and inspire yourself to live life to the fullest again.