In the mean time, I wanted to share a few inspirational words from leaders past… men and women who, in my mind, embodied what true service really means through their life’s work. Because really, in the end, it’s not our words that have an impact… it’s the deeds, the actions that ripple out from our intentions.

Here are a few quotes abou service that have been on my mind today. If you have favorites, I would love for you to share them in the comments section below.

“There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love.”  ~ Mother Teresa

“The difference between a helping hand and an outstretched palm is a twist of the wrist.”  ~ Laurence Leamer

“I slept and dreamt that life was all joy, I awoke and understood life was but service, I served and realized service is joy.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore

“Everybody can be great.  Because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.”  ~ Martin Luther King, Jr

“There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves.  You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb himself.”  ~ Andrew Carnegie

Green singles, don’t leave home without reading through this excellent list of 15 tips for safe and responsible world travel, especially to less developed parts of the world:

1. Carry a “decoy wallet,” so that if you are robbed by bandits with large guns, you have something to hand over. I keep $40 in my decoy wallet, along with an old library card and frequent-flier card. (But don’t begrudge the wallet: when my travel buddy was pickpocketed in Peru, we tried to jump the pickpocket, who turned out to be backed by an entire gang … )

2. Carry cash and your passport where no robber will find it. Assuming that few bandits read this column, I’ll disclose that I carry mine in a pouch that loops onto my belt and tucks under my trousers.

3. Carry a tiny ski lock with a six-foot retractable wire. Use it to lock your backpack to a hotel bed when you’re out, or to the rack of a train car.

4. At night, set a chair against your hotel door so that it will tip over and crash if someone slips in at 4 a.m. And lift the sheet to look for bloodstains on the mattress — meaning bed bugs.

5. When it gets dark, always carry a headlamp in your pocket. I learned that from a friend whose hotel in Damascus lost power. He lacked a light but was able to feel his way up the stairs in the dark, find his room and walk in. A couple of final gropes, and he discovered it wasn’t his room after all. Unfortunately, it was occupied.

6. If you’re a woman held up in an isolated area, stick out your stomach, pat it and signal that you’re pregnant. You might also invest in a cheap wedding band, for imaginary husbands deflect unwanted suitors.

7. Be wary of accepting drinks from anyone. Robbers sometimes use a date rape drug to knock out their victims — in bars, in trains, in homes. If presented with pre-poured drinks, switch them with your host, cheerfully explaining: “This is an American good luck ritual!”

8. Buy a secondhand local cell phone for $20, outfit it with a local SIM card and keep it in your pocket.

9. When you arrive in a new city, don’t take an airport taxi unless you know it is safe. If you do take a cab, choose a scrawny driver and lock ALL the doors — thieves may pull open the doors at a red light and run off with a bag.

10. Don’t wear a nice watch, for that suggests a fat wallet and also makes a target. I learned that lesson on my first trip to the Philippines: a robber with a machete had just encountered a Japanese businessman with a Rolex — who now, alas, has only one hand.

11. Look out for fake cops or crooked ones. If a policeman tries to arrest you, demand to see some ID and use your cell phone to contact a friend.

12. If you are held up by bandits with large guns, shake hands respectfully with each of your persecutors. It’s very important to be polite to people who might kill you. Surprisingly often, child soldiers and other bandits will reciprocate your fake friendliness and settle for some cash rather than everything you possess. I’ve even had thugs warmly exchange addresses with me, after robbing me.

13. Remember that the scariest people aren’t warlords, but drivers. In buses I sometimes use my pack as an airbag; after one crash I was the only passenger not hospitalized.

14. If terrorists finger you, break out singing “O Canada”!

15. Finally, don’t be so cautious that you miss the magic of escaping your comfort zone and mingling with local people and staying in their homes. The risks are minimal compared with the wonders of spending time in a small village. So take a gap year, or volunteer in a village or a slum. And even if everything goes wrong and you are robbed and catch malaria, shrug it off — those are precisely the kinds of authentic interactions with local cultures that, in retrospect, enrich a journey and life itself.

This list is written by Nicholas Kristof, whose full post you can read in the New York Times. Check out the EcoDater Blog for more eco-friendly posts.

With six months to go before the election, President Obama has officially launched his campaign. This is an important time for him not to take anything for granted, but also to stay true to his beliefs and ethics.

It is extremely hard to stay balanced during difficult and challenging times, as there are always those who want to bring you down, who disagree, criticize, or act like they know better. It is obvious that it will be a nasty presidential campaign. Both Obama’s religion and his birthplace are constantly questioned yet he holds his head high, speaks calmly and intelligently, and seems to have no malice. His reaction to such dissenters has simply shown his determination to keep going forward. As he said: “What we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help them find their own grace. That’s what I strive to do, that’s what I pray to do every day.”

When people speak badly about you, you should respond in this way: Keep a steady heart and do not reply with harsh words. Practice letting go of resentment, and accept that another’s hostility is the spur to your understanding. Be kind, adopt a generous standpoint, treat your enemy as a friend, and suffuse your world with affectionate thoughts, far-reaching and widespread, limitless and free from hate. Buddha

The Buddha’s teaching is based on our interdependence and interconnectedness. In a very broad sense, the role of the president is similar — to recognize how we all affect each other, which is our basic interconnectedness. Obama’s recent announcement of his support of gay marriage is an example of this, as it reflects the desire that all beings be treated equally. As Obama said four years ago: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

We are delighted that Obama has recognized gay marriage as a fundamental right, for the soul is neither male nor female, gay or straight. The cover of Newsweek features an image of Obama with a rainbow-colored halo above his head. The main story is: “The First Gay President.” We all breathe the same air, drink the same water, eat, sleep, and want to be happy. Love is not determined by gender. Why should anyone be denied the right to live the life they want, as long as they are not creating suffering for another? When we first met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in northern India we prostrated before him, as is the custom. He quickly lifted us up saying, “We are all equal here.”

But the differences between us can be huge. Although Obama pledged bipartisanship, in the last four years we have seen the worst partisanship ever, with the Republicans determined to say “no” to whatever Obama proposes. To find unity, we have to go beyond those differences; we have to surrender our own needs for the benefit of all. In the process, our enemies can teach us great patience and even compassion!

It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways. Buddha

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. Buddha

There have been some great achievements in the last four years as well as promises that haven’t been kept. But perfection is knowing ones own imperfections, which gives us the ability to get up each time we fall.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Buddha

Since everyone sees and experiences the world differently, it is important to choose a type of retreat that works best for us. Even though a friend or loved one may recommend something, we have to trust our intuition and select a path that really connects with what our soul needs most at the time. The most essential thing is to be willing to respect our unique stage of development and to be patient with ourselves since any thoughts or issues that arise are simply part of the process of healing. Just remembering that a retreat is an intense period of time where serious soul searching takes place can help us allow whatever may happen to us to fully unfold. Going on retreat may sound like a vacation, but most retreat experiences ask you to look deep inside of yourself, and sometimes this can be uncomfortable or stir the pot of our soul.

Putting our trust in the retreat process will make space for the necessary work we have to do, making it easier for our hearts and minds to explore wholly the innermost reaches of our soul. By paying attention to these messages, we pave the way for greater healing and transformation, since spending time in contemplation at a retreat will give us the gift of insight and understanding that we can use in all aspects of our daily lives.

Originally published November 2010

Nature speaks to your soul in this revolutionary new film by Emmy Award winning director Jan Nickman.  Echoes of Creation is a new film, directed by Emmy Award winning director Jan Nickman, that chronicles a beautiful journey through the pristine wilderness of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Its mission, according to the website is simply to remind viewers to, “remember who you are — a part of it.”

Everyday we spotlight one remarkable video to inspire you to fulfill your intentions and improve your life. Do you have a video you’d like to suggest? Send it to us at editor [at] intent.com.

My day today… (You can skip the italic part with the details.  I admit its a bit self-indulgent!)

Part 1 of my Day

Wake up at 6am. Check my email while I walk the dog (Yoda). Help my girls get ready (blow drying their long hair in the morning not a good idea). Breakfast. Drop them to school.  Deep breath, as the morning kid craziness is done.

Until I get home and realize Leela, my1^st grader forgot to take Ducky Momo – her homework companion – back to school.  I have a call and don’t have time to go drop it off– lesson for her in responsibility?

Part 2 of my Day

Emails, calls, meetings.  Drop off the dry cleaning, fill up gas. (How much do I love Blue Tooth so I can do my calls in the car!) Drop Yoda to the groomer for a bath.  My lunch goes ½ hour longer than I thought, so I don’t have time to pick him up before getting the girls from school. 

Shoot, I didn’t bring Leela’s tennis racket for her after school class so have to quickly go home.  Late picking the girls up from school, so we are 10 minutes late for the 45 minute class.

Part 3 of my Day 

Homework, figure out dinner.  My attention is half on emails, half on testing Tara on how many feet are in a mile.  OMG – I forgot to pick up Yoda!

Luckily my husband came home early so I leave the kids with him. I pick up the dog, pick up some food for dinner.  At dinner, we share stories from the day – my husband and I made a rule to try to stay off the phone and electronic devices when we have dinner.  This is one of my favorite times of the day.

Grocery store at 8pm.  I come home, clean up from dinner, get into bed with my computer.  Work begins again for another 2-3 hours. I have to deliver a list of my favorite apps to a magazine, write a blog, organize tomorrow as I am going to San Diego between drop off and pick up.  Hopefully, I will sleep at 10pm.

I am sure my day sounds very familiar to most moms reading this blog.  (In fact, some of you may note how lucky I am to have such a supportive husband.)  Working at home or working a full time job, many of the women I know today are striving for balance.  They are figuring out how to manage the kids, their marriage (or divorce), their friends, activities, the finances, the house, volunteering, working, figuring out how to get back to work after being home for a few years.

My problem is that I over commit.  I volunteer in school.  I take my kids to their after school classes – I like driving them, chatting with them in the car, watching them discover themselves.  I have my company, Intent (www.intentblog.com and www.intent.com), and am launching a YouTube Channel – The Chopra Well – with my dad (Deepak Chopra) and brother (Gotham Chopra).  (Please subscribe here.)

These days, sometimes, I feel like a bad friend (not returning calls, missing birthday lunches) and a bad wife (thank god for my patient husband). My parents and brother complain I am always stressed and don’t have time to talk to them.  But they have no idea what I do all day, I justify to myself.

Sometimes I feel that balance may be too aspirational for me just now – maybe I just need some moments of balance in my day.  Like my few moments of savoring my tea.  Or meditating for 10 minutes.  Or going for a 20 minute run along the beach.

Yet, when I really think about it, I have to admit I am happy.  Frenzied, yes, but also lucky.  (Ok, very frenzied.)  But, I am most joyful when I am with my kids, and when I feel I am giving back to through my work. I’m ok with being a bit crazy at this stage in my life.  I’m making choices every day to lead the life I want, and for that I feel grateful.

A few facts that caught our attention:

• 53% of adult females use social media on a weekly basis (that’s it?!)
• Women’s top interests are entertainment, food, health/wellness, and recipes/cooking. Somewhat surprisingly, fashion/beauty/shopping comes in fifth.
• The top reason women cite for using social networks is to stay up to date on family and friends.

via Panorama

Results from a recent survey suggest that children rank body image among the highest of their concerns, above both self-confidence and social life. Recent research also suggests that nearly 50% of females between ages 11 and 16 would consider cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance.