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Blessings on Martin Luther King Day. We must pay tribute and respect to this great leader, who was a champion for the people, a champion for the poor, and a champion for the spirit of selfless service in all of us. Martin Luther King’s his last speech, “I’ve Been the Mountaintop”, is well known, but I just discovered and listened to Martin Luther King’s last sermon – “The Drum Major Instinct”, where Dr. King encouraged his congregation to seek greatness, but to do so through service and love. How remarkable that even amongst the fear of death threats that were so common near the end of his life, that Martin Luther King continued to preach a message of love and continued to serve and inspire until his last day. Here is a great little animation with audio excerpted from the speech:

Uma Visvanathan wrote a very touching article, Having Faith in Haiti, in the Washington Post today (on the anniversary of Haiti’s devastating earthquake). Uma is yesplus teacher and Director of Nouvelle Vie Haiti, a youth leadership project that combines yoga, meditation and permaculture. She writes about how young Haitian leaders are spreading practical solutions to some of the most pressing issues including hunger and trauma.  “…the struggle for food is a daily reality. That these children can learn how to grow food and help feed themselves is a revelation. That they are being taught to do so not by groups of foreigners but by other young Haitians is a revolution.” They’re teaching hundreds of young orphans how to grow food with the simplest of resources, like old tires and rice bags filled with soil and planted with seeds for food scraps. How empowering to see that with some creativity and training you can grow your own food out of practically anything.  One orphan said, “It’s my dream that my country is no longer a country that is waiting for everything to come from the outside, but a country that can produce for itself. That’s what I want to do. That is my responsibility. I’m taking responsibility for changing my country.”

One of our yesplus teachers shares his thoughts on the new year. With a new year just starting, it is a fitting time to stop and survey the landscape.  Take a look back and see how much has happened in the past year.  Retrace your journey through valleys filled with challenges and difficult times all the way up to the peaks of life.  The highest experiences that led to joy, bliss, and contentment. Taking a helicopter to the top of a mountain will never feel like an accomplishment.  It will never have the satisfaction of surviving the climb.  Be grateful for challenges.  They have made success valuable. And as you look down from the peak, see how much stronger and more capable you have become.  Recall that looking up from the valley, the mountain seemed infinitely high.  So do all challenges. This year, set your sights higher.  Aim for a higher peak, and don’t forget your map.

Since 2000, Pardada Pardadi Educational Society has been improving the lives of girls in rural India. Its mission is to uplift and empower girls from the poorest sections of society by providing free education and vocational training — creating a new generation of self-reliant and educated girls who will break the cycle of poverty in the region. The Swan emblem of PPES is inspiring for many in India, denoting the vehicle of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions was created, in 1893, to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world. Objective of the Parliament of World’s Religions (PWR) is to encourage inter-religious harmony across the globe. Religious leaders and faith practitioners from across the world attend the sessions of the PWR and share views on a variety of themes. From issues of environmental concern to sharing wisdom to those in search for inner peace, speakers at the PWR deliberate on a wide range of global and individual concerns. Swami Vivekananda’s famous speech at the 1893 PWR on assimilation and harmony of religious values was widely appreciated across the globe. He showcased before the world the combination of rationality and spirituality of thought in Hindu religion through his speech.

This morning I gave a call to two of the people that influenced my life the most at an early age. I have always felt that it was these two people who set me clearly on the path of spirituality.

Well well science, thank you for noticing. We always love it when we get an article that confirms through modern scientific techniques, the things we teach on a daily basis.  The latest insight: keeping the mind in the present moment makes your happier.  Using an iphone application, psychologists at Harvard found out that when people were not daydreaming, when they were in the moment, they were far happier, and when the mind wandered, unhappiness would follow shortly after. Take a look at the full article in the New York Times.

Michael Fischman, president of the Art of Living Foundation in the United States has just published a new book on his experiences with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The book, which has been skyrocketing in amazon rankings from #48,000 when it debuted yesterday to #495 when we wrote this post, has met with some great early acclaim. “Stumbling into Infinity has deep knowledge, humor, and moments of grace. Ultimately, this book will inspire you to see how much better your life — and the world — can be through meditation, service to others, and deep gratitude.” — Carol Kline, co-author of the New York Times Bestsellers, “Happy for No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul 2.” You can order it on amazon.

This Videogame Invasion brought to you by knifeshowinc via vimeo.com Often when we get older, we start to take life way too seriously. Being “adult” is almost synonymous to being too serious. And we’ve seen how much fun and freedom these “adults” seem to have. It’s so dull. If we want to keep our freedom in life, we need to be like a child and live life like a game! When we lose at a video game, we don’t get heartbroken, we get excited about the challenge, get psyched to push our skills to the next level, get focused and give it our 100%.

• How would your life be different if you took life like a game?
• What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Unlike what some economists have thought, we actually are not hard-wired for selfishness, our brain is soft-wired for sociability, kindness, generosity & compassion. Most of all, we are drawn towards belongingness, one of the most fundamental of human needs. Watch this amazing video about mirror neurons to find out more!