Great Leader seems always to be first defined as what we don’t have at the moment. Descriptions include decisiveness, courage and a fervent wish to serve the definers particular ethnic or economic group. And because everyone wants someone who believes in the same truth they believe, getting at what constitutes true leadership requires some study. I got caught up in this endless circle recently with a couple of friends. Reaching no consensus with them, I decided to do a reality check with Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, one time Roman Emperor.   Read more...

Peace is like a baby we wanted to be born and grow in our lives. It has growth stages nurtured like a child's with love and care, wisdom and faith. This peace process and outcome is what we really need and want in our lives made more meaningful.

Do we look for wisdom to nurture peace by knowledge? We realize it’s not what we know that gives peace. It’s in the wisdom of contradictions when we react to situations in unloving ways, by judgments and preconceived ideas, without seeking the truth that lies behind biases. Wisdom to find peace is in forgiveness, of ourselves for mistakes and not persecute ourselves and others with what we can’t change in the past but in the present with new-found courage.   Read more...

A major new fund has been created at The Pittsburgh Foundation to support The Pittsburgh Promise, a program designed to help students and families of the Pittsburgh Public Schools plan, prepare and pay for education beyond high school at an accredited post-secondary institution within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Pittsburgh Promise serves to inspire and motivate Pittsburgh Public Schools students to “Dream Big” and “Work Hard” in order to improve the prospects for their future.   Read more...

The EPA drops the value of human life. Greensburg, Kansas rebuilds into a sustainable emerald green city. Check out the latest news in alt autos: Stella, Tesla, Tata Nano, Prius, and more.   Read more...

An expert in body/mind healing says that the secret to happiness, health and long life is as simple as breathing. It is so simple that anyone can master it with a little practice. There are no gadgets to buy or clubs to join to reap the benefits. You don’t even have to visit your doctor for a prescription. Does this sound too good to be true? Well, for once it isn’t!

According to Zen Yoga master, Aaron Hoopes the art of deep breathing has been called by a variety of names: conscious breathing, abdominal breathing, dynamic breathing and even belly breathing. Mr. Hoopes calls it Smart Breathing in the updated and expanded 2nd Edition of his book Breathe Smart. He calls it smart because it has immediate rewards, costs nothing and is a no-lose endeavor. It makes you feel good while you do it in the short term, and in the long term you will find yourself living a more energized, healthy and peaceful life.   Read more...

In 1991, six Wall Street professionals established Minds Matter in New York City to mentor high-achieving, low-income high school students who had the potential and ambition to pursue a college education, but who lacked the resources to achieve that dream. Since then, Minds Matter has grown into a national organization with chapters across the United States in Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; New York City, New York; and Portland, Oregon. In the 2008-2009 school year, Minds Matter will launch a new Chapter and open its doors to students in Cleveland, Ohio!

The organization's services have also developed into a comprehensive three year curriculum for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Each year students are guided through valuable lessons in Academic Preparedness, Writing & Critical Thinking and Test Preparation.   Read more...

Dear EarthTalk: I was intrigued to hear that there were a number of ways one could modify or construct a roof on a house or office facility that would provide great environmental benefit. Can you enlighten? -- Bill Teague, Menlo Park, CA

Most buildings are designed to shed rain, and as such are built with hard, impenetrable roofing surfaces. As a result, rainwater bounces off and collects as runoff, picking up impurities - including infectious bacteria from animal waste as well as harmful pesticides and fertilizers - on the way to municipal storm sewers, which in turn eventually empty out into local bodies of water.   Read more...

More and more we're hearing that would-be vacationers are staying home this year in favor of the "staycation". It's a matter of striking a balance and not going too far off the all-or-nothing vacation deep end. Because in the end whether it's a vacation or a staycation, it's all about living, that rich life experience, that Leafpond Moment. So if you would like a vacation but can't get away, watch our video Leafpond Moment.   Read more...

People suffering anxiety often focus on fearful thoughts of losing control or going crazy. Thoughts can trigger anxiety but it is the body's response to the threat conveyed by our thoughts or our senses that accounts for anxiety. Some of those reactions include: increased heart rate, sweating, choking sensation, tightness in body, nausea, numbness, chills or hot flushes. Fortunately, it is through breath therapy that we have a means to calm our body and relieve the pain.

Breath therapy is a kind of mindful breathing whereby in different ways one focuses on breathing and simply notices it. This kind of breathing connects to chi, the body's powerful healing energy. As this connection happens it can evoke a warm tingling or a subtle vibration that eases pain, calms emotions, invigorates energy, improves digestion, and contributes to restful sleep.   Read more...

I have heard and experienced too, that everything turns rosy when one falls in love. The proverbial rose tinted glasses, rosy dreams, pink roses, and the blush on the lover’s cheeks! I have read many books on relationships, human psychology, have observed people, studied human behavior, have worked with centers that do ‘paid listening’ for the broken hearted and have listened to many stories of love getting bruised, with ennui, neglect and emotional asphyxiation. True, that everything looks pink in its initial stages, but turns blue with carelessness, extra carefulness, neediness, unfair expectations, suffocating possessiveness and at times, just for no reason at all.

I have written some motivating articles on the intricacies of relationships in various journals; perhaps involuntarily taking on the mantle of being a ‘so called expert’ on the subject. Well, even after all this I cannot vouch for being ‘the expert’ in relationships, because the fact is that it is difficult to figure out people and something as fragile as “feelings”. Human mind is a never-ending mystery, and so is the heart.   Read more...