“Your problem is how you are going to spend this one and precious life you have been given. Whether you’re going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.” – Anne Lamott
I am reading an inspiring book at the moment, “Thrive” by Arianna Huffington. Arianna is the co-founder and Editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post and one of the most influential women in business. She has written about helping us redefine what success means in this world and the cost associated with that to our health and our life. It is a practical response of how to live.
She is convinced there are two fundamental truths about human beings. That we all have within us a centered place of wisdom, harmony and strength and that the kingdom of God is within each one of us. The second truth is that we will all steer away from that place time and time again.
Within that sacred place we can transform struggle to grace and we can learn to trust we know the answers to whatever our obstacles, challenges or disappointments are. How important and how often we make time to connect back to this sacred place is our choice.
Arianna says, one reason we give for allowing stress to build up in our lives is because we don’t have time to take care of ourselves. She also encourages us to write our own Eulogy on our life as it is now. Our Eulogy is our first formal marking down of what our lives were about. eg “While she didn’t have any real friends, she had 600 Facebook friends and dealt with every email in her in-box every night” Is this how we want to be remembered? What would your Eulogy say about your life?
In knowing death, we understand life. Arianna reflects on this as well and how we have a choice to spend all our life preparing for our death or pretending all our lives that death will never come.
Arianna gives wonderful insights into how we can apply change from the stress that we create and how we can unplug and recharge and as Steve Jobs says “Focusing, is about saying “NO.”
This book is a good read to help us with changing our life, and to apply practical ways to work through our challenges and guide us back to a place of love, connection and spirit.
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
Sounds like something good for me right now. Thanks!
You will definitely enjoy her writing Vicki, she is honest and her heartfelt passion for life reminds us what we already know!
I am definitely an Annie LaMott follower; I’ve not yet picked up “Thrive” – sounds like a very worthwhile read!
Thanks Mimi. In the book she helps us connect to every part of our life and makes change plausible no matter who we are.
Karen
Thanks for the recommendation on the book, I think my pile is growing steadily, which is a good thing! For that is where the growth occurs, in always learning and hopefully making changes.
Thankyou and I agree, I love reading about how others have learned to change and grow.
Love Anne Lamott! And Arianna! I will have to check out the latter’s book! Thanks!
Great I am sure you will like it. Thankyou
Great messages for us all! I saw Arianna interviewed on Oprah’s soul to soul Sundays here in the US. Her message is the same as so many gurus and sages over the millennia. The more we hear about and experience what matters most, the more we can evolve and are prepared to deal with all that this life brings us.
Thanks for sharing your insight into Thrive Karen!
Val xo
I must look at that interview. I am glad too Val, that we have so many gurus and sages that we can learn from and everyone will resonate differently with us. Thankyou and have a beautiful day. 🙂
About that “allowing stress in”. Self destruction is a fascinating aspect of our intra-personal lives. I struggle on it too. It’s crazy sometimes that when everything is lined up in your life, when everything is good, it’s a sort of like subconscious tendecy for us to bring challenges in.
Yeah its true, it’s like we feel uncomfortable being stress free and so unconsciously create more! Crazy, but hopefully overtime we learn to be happy being happy!