Intelligence Weekly: IMAlive

Image by f-l-e-x via Flickr

When I was a child, I would sometimes lie in bed at night and speak the mantra "I am alive" to myself over and over until I was able to conceive the strange sensation of my mortality. I still do this practice from time to time, and I think it helps me to remember that whatever might be happening at that moment in my life is impermanent.

IMAlive is a website dedicated to being present for people in moments of crisis. Certified volunteers are available for immediate chat with anyone who is seeking someone to reach out to for help. Thanks to the beautiful internet, and a thousand willing strangers, a half-hour chat can be a life-affirming beacon for a person who has lost hope.