An Interview with Ally Vesterfelt (with a free MP3!)
Today I’ve got a few special treats for all of you. I recently interviewed writer, author and blogger Allison (‘Ally’) Vesterfelt (pictured left). Ally is co-editor of Prodigal Magazine, and also has her own blog. A few years ago Ally sold everything she owned and travelled around all 50 states in the US for 6…
The Myth of Being Normal
(Picture: Ioa Bacon via Creative Commons) Normal. It’s a word we use with great regularity. Often about people. And even more often, talking about ourselves, our circumstances or people we know in comparison to others. Do any of these phrases sound familiar? “Why couldn’t I have a ‘normal’ upbringing?” “Why can’t you…
Why we should look Outward to the Centre of the Universe
(Picture: Emily Moe @ Creative Commons) Recently I was doing photocopying at work, and it was taking an absolute age. There were staples to take out, and I couldn’t simply feed it all through. And I was grumpy. Very grumpy. I felt such frustration welling up, because deep down I felt I was capable of…
Why Contentment & Growth are Partners, not Enemies
As many of you will know, I recently had a little sabbatical from social media and writing. And there is one thing I noticed over and again both during my break, and even more so since: When you’re disconnected from the world, everything takes on a different meaning. Suddenly, what seemed life or death is…
Why It’s Time to Rest
(Picture – Oliver Kendall via Creative Commons) No human being can sustain what we do most of the time for all of the time. If we keep working, eventually it’s going to catch up to us. And when I say work, I’m not just talking about our jobs – because despite what culture says, work…
Why Real Hope is Dangerous
(Picture: Rupert Ganzer for Creative Commons) Hope is a word which gets lot of leverage. I even wrote about it myself last week. It’s more than a word. It’s more than a feeling. It’s deep in our soul. Under the surface, most of us yearn for something better. We all long for a better tomorrow. Why?…
Why Hope Never Dies
(Picture: Paulo Gamba through Creative Commons) Ever watched a sports game and your team seems to have everything go against it? Like there are some outside forces, beyond our control, deciding the destiny of our team? Or you see a film, or read a book, and you just ‘know’ what is going to happen? Like…
Comfort Writing & How to Avoid It (PositiveWriter.com)
(Picture: Creative Commons by Amy LYah) Most of us have heard the term ‘comfort eating’. I know the phrase all too well. A bad day can still occasionally lead to me devouring a couple bars of chocolate or a few donuts. Comfort eating makes me feel better about myself for a short period of time. It’s taking…
How to Avoid becoming a Sugar Cube (Five Minute Friday)
Recently I’ve participated in Lisa-Jo Baker’s “Five-Minute Friday” (you can find all my Five Minute Friday posts in the ‘related posts’ at the bottom). The concept is simple, and in my opinion, brilliant: Write for 5 minutes, straight from the heart, on that weeks theme (given by Lisa-Jo) – and then share it. No edits,…
Why we are Mysteries Within Mysteries
Source: pinwords.com via James on Pinterest I was recently making a dent in my sofa after doing some cleaning and tidying. I felt I’d earned it. I let my body go like a sail with air through it, and just relaxed. I was tempted to turn the radio or TV on. But for some reason…