Thrive!
By Anne Simpkinson

May 2011

  • A Creative Idea for the Holiday: Take a Vacation!

    I planned a while ago to take an extra day over the long Memorial Day weekend and head out to my cottage in Connecticut.

    True to my Type A, New York personality, I started to set personal goals and created a to-do list that included working in the yard, cleaning out the basement, dropping off clothes at the Episcopal Thrift Shop, meeting friends, prepping for an upcoming video interview, etc.

  • On Silence, Creativity and Personal Growth

    I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity lately, about how creating is a spiritual act because it reconnects us with the Creator—and ourselves.

    Not too long ago, Therese Borchard quoted Thomas Merton in her Beyond Blue blog. The Trappist monk and bestselling author wrote:

  • Pushing Yourself to Succeed

    I have been thinking lately how I have lost discipline. Last year, I pledged to get to a healthy weight and ended up losing 45 pounds in 11+ months.

    But this year, although I have talked about goals—mainly a financial diet—I haven’t really applied myself with single-minded focus. Nor have I begun to walk early in the morning or after work, and my willpower around food is slipping.

  • Journaling for Personal Growth, Spiritual Growth

    I’ve been journaling since I can’t remember when.

    Looking back, many, if not most, of the entries were written in stressful, difficult times, when I couldn’t sleep or when I needed an outlet for pain, anger or disappointment.

    I also wrote pages upon pages on retreat. Those sections are brimming with quotes from the spiritual books I was reading as well as remarkable insights and yearnings. Having cleared away everyday concerns with prayer and settled into silence, my daily jottings reflected a depth that my everyday self rarely enjoys or entertains.

  • Sharing a Personal Growth Discovery

    A week or so ago, I found All About Living with Life, a blog that covers exactly what its title heralds.

    It carries some very good tips and advice about personal finance, work situations, personal growth, parenting—basically the stuff of life. I wouldn’t say that the material is terribly original, but what I’ve found valuable is being reminded about ways to handle everyday situations and challenges in positive ways.

Anne Simpkinson is the online managing editor of Guideposts.com. She co-authored Soul Work: A Field Guide for Spiritual Seekers and has edited two anthologies entitled Sacred Stories: A Celebration of the Power of Stories to Transform and Heal and Nourishing the Soul: Discovering the Sacred in Everyday Life. A spiritual practice, good friends, a lakeside cottage and a loving tuxedo cat continue to transform and enrich her life.