Ann Elizabeth Grace, Author

The best gift you can give yourself in 2013 is the decision to follow your calling. This is the path that is uniquely right for you. It encompasses every area of life, from your work and relationships to your heartaches and hopes. Following your calling might sound complicated, but it’s not. It’s as simple as checking in with yourself as often as you can.

Below are three tips for following your calling in 2013:

1. Tell the Truth—to Yourself. Self-honesty is central to following our calling. This means identifying what we need to let go, as well as what we want to create. Take stock of what you need to release from 2012. What is taking up too much space in your life? Consider beliefs, relationship dynamics, grudges, material objects, habits, and ways you spend your time that are no longer serving you. Think about a small change you can make within yourself.

On the flip side, reflect on what you have been longing for. What feels like the next, right step in your life? Read more…

Like countless others, I adore the poem “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver. Her final lines are the most well known: Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? On the inner level, my purpose is constant: to awaken fully to the truth of my being. On the outer level, I don’t feel a need for a sweeping answer to Oliver’s question. My life unfolds in stages and scenes, each one revealing its plans in the perfect time and way. This moment calls me to nourish my budding family of three: to fan the inexpressible joy of my marriage, to be a clear presence for my infant son, to care gently for myself. I trust that the next acts will encompass this same focus and will open beautiful new doors as well. 

Read on and consider the unfolding of your own wild and precious path…

A little note for Long Islanders~

Next Tuesday, May 22nd at 9:45am, I will be a guest on Bonnie Grice's radio program, "The Eclectic Cafe," at WPPB 88.3 FM. We'll talk tips for new graduates and more…

Tune in if you can!

This morning I attended a moving Unitarian Earth Day service. I was reminded that we belong to the Earth—not the other way around, to be mindful of where my food comes from, and to look up when I’m walking. One of my favorite personal memories also came rushing back: hugging a Sequoia tree in California’s Sequoia National Park a few years ago. Before that day, I had never seen or touched trees like the Sequoias. They were absolutely enormous, with a vivid, striking, reddish color. Their 2,000+-year-old powers instantly put every concern of my life into perspective.

But I digress. At the service this morning, a musician named Pat Killian performed a song he wrote called “Given.” Now…I’ve always cried easily (a colleague once affectionately referred to me as the “office crier”)…but I’m seven months pregnant, so the poignant lyrics melted me into a puddle.  Read more…

I am deeply touched and inspired by this video of 108-year-old Holocaust survivor Alice Herz Sommer (being interviewed by Tony Robbins). Her beautiful smile and message of thankfulness blow me away.

I still haven't figured out how to upload videos to my blog, but you can Click Here for the link!

Thanks to all who braved the blustery Saturday and came out to my book signing! What a great day—here’s a photo:

Hi, all! I have a book signing coming up, and would love for you to stop by if you’re in the area. At some point during the day I’ll give a talk about my book, Confusion to Clarity: The Twentysomething’s Guide to Finding Your Calling.

Here are the details:

Hope to see you there!

Since the recent move, I’ve been exploring various spiritual communities in our area. This exploration led my husband and me to attend a Unitarian Universalist service last weekend. The hour was lovely, complete with a Buddhist Tonglen meditation, hearty banjo music, and contemplative moments to ringing bells.

The minister also gave a captivating talk. She spoke of her lifelong journey of coming to know God. In childhood, like many of us, she associated God with a deity who alternately rewarded the good and punished the bad. She also pleaded with him to fulfill her youthful desires. Couldn’t he please make the cute boy in middle school like her back?

As she became an adult, this view of God struck her as silly. She tossed it out. She also disdained other people who believed in God. How could they swallow such nonsense? Because her view of God had not evolved since childhood, she assumed theirs hadn’t either. This was a false assumption.  Read more…

I just watched a fascinating documentary called Forks Over Knives. I recommend it to anyone who'd like to learn more about the connection between food and health. The film presents a compelling look at the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, free of animal products.

Even before watching the film, I’ve flirted with the idea of becoming vegan. Plant-based foods make me go weak in the knees with their rich colors, textures, and flavors. But in reality, dairy and I still maintain a strong love affair as well. I consider myself a practical vegetarian. I rarely eat meat or seafood, but allow room for flexibility. For example, I occasionally eat dishes prepared with chicken broth. And a couple of months ago I ordered “veggie tuna” at a deli, thinking it was some type of faux tuna. When I dug in, I quickly discovered it was the real thing, only with some celery sprinkled in. No worries. I savored every bite.

I'm not qualified to make dietary recommendations to others, and am not trying to do so. Everyone's body has different needs for optimal health. All I know is that I've personally experienced food to be wonderful medicine for ailments of all kinds. If you're interested, check out the documentary!

Gentle hum of crickets
Spontaneous birdsong
Frisky squirrel skittering by
New fall breeze grazing my arm
Steaming lemon ginger tea
Crisp purple grapes
Afternoon sunlight streaming through the window
Fresh air filling my lungs
Stillness of mind
A day just like today
A moment just like this one