Thrive Paper

Initially, I thought this book would be one of those cliché monotonous motivational

money-making books, but as an ongoing adage goes, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I

thought this with Thrive. Fortunately, after reading Thrive, I find myself in a different place in

my life than I was before. For example, before reading this book, I was technically on my phone

all the time, and I wasn’t aware of all the little things around me, such as precious moments with

my dear son. As I read Thrive, I realized everything that I currently have is a luxury to me, even

if that is just being home with my family. That is, there are other people out there who struggle

far more economically, mentally, and physically. The book opened my eyes to how we tend to

wait until the very last minute, particularly a health crisis that shifts us into doing better for our

overall well-being. The author mentions “wake-up calls” (Huffington, 2015), and I might’ve

already experienced my wake-up call a few times because I have landed in hospitalization about

two times. Both experiences were severe. If not those, I surely don’t want to wait until something

more dangerous happens if I don’t make beneficial changes. 

Huffington pointed out many mistakes as humans make primarily because many of us are

not aligned with our inner self. Take the case of the use of technology and negative self-talk.

However, I never felt judged when the author spoke about these issues because we all have done

it at some point. It was somewhat like hearing from a therapist, something you might not be fond

of listening to, but you know you need to for the sake of your health and relationships.

Positively, Huffington mentions the pillars of success: the first two being money and power, and

the remaining as well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving, known as the “Third Metric”

(Huffington, 2015), which are the key to a successful life. Thrive made me realize that there is

more to life than just moping around, neglecting my needs when I could be living in the moment,
and achieving goals that have been sitting out on the bench for a while. I now view my failures

as a path to new beginnings and success rather than giving up and walking away. As a result,

Thrive is my starting point to initiate the change I want to make in my life.

Reflection

The first area in the book I felt drawn to was the train dream. The author talks about the

scenery and the road journey with her family, but it wasn’t the dream itself that stood out to me

more so the meaning behind it. As an illustration, referring to Huffington (2015), “The people we

invite on the train are those with whom we are prepared to be vulnerable and real, with whom

there is no room for masks and games” (pg. 119). Unquestionably, it is true that anyone would

only allow room for those they have a strong relationship with. The author also mentions that

there are “dissemblers” that get onto our train from time to time, and when they do, we should

escort them out (Huffington, 2015). In any case, we do not have room for people who do not

value us. Hence, it is best to cut off anyone that brings forth negativity. 

There was another part in that section that I strongly resonated with. For example,

according to Huffington (2015), “There is nothing more draining than holding grudges” (pg.

119). The author speaks about her divorce and how it can affect children if you have any, which I

do. At that point, I realized how important it is to keep a civil relationship with the other person

because I have seen times where two people become toxic to one another because of their split

and make their children choose sides. In this situation, I would never want to put my son through

that if his father and I were to ever separate. 

Furthermore, it is crucial to know the effects of conflict on parent-to-child relationships.

As stated by Guerrero, Andersen, & Afifi (2018), “Children who witness their parents engaging

in frequent, aggressive conflict are more likely to have trouble interacting with their peers and
performing at their full potential in school” (pg. 290). Thus, if you are not aware of your conflict

style with those you are close with, you potentially harm yourself and those around you. But

Huffington talks about how she holds a close relationship with her ex-husband. To demonstrate,

as claimed by Huffington (2015), “a bond that transcends all grievances” (pg. 120). Love can fail

and not be what partners expected, but that doesn’t mean the relationship has to end. In the light

of Huffington (2015), “like any relationship, it requires work and care and attention” (pg. 120).

The second area that stood out to me in Thrive was when Huffington brings up Mark

Nepo and his poetry about sacrifice. She talks about we can achieve wisdom by recognizing our

faults and letting go of those bad habits (Huffington, 2015). In this case, I had a bad habit of

communicating aggressively in conflict with my past relationships, and that past behavior was

transitioning over to my current relationship. Consequently, my partner and I would regularly

have disagreements, and it would be an ongoing situation. My poor communication only made it

worse. These “destructive tactics” (Guerrero, Andersen, & Afifi, 2018) were not only affecting

my relationship but leading it to an end. However, I was aware of my problem, and it was not

something to do overnight, but self-control and consistency are what supported me. Therefore, in

the opinion of Guerrero, Andersen, & Afifi (2018), “Recognizing these mistakes is the first step

toward managing conflict in ways that keep your relationships satisfying” (pg. 313).

Book connections

On the one hand, Thrive was connecting with my mind and body, in other words,

spirituality. On the other hand, in the Guerrero text, I was clicking with the social and relational

growth, in other words, human connection. Gaining knowledge from these two texts helped me

reconnect with everything around me, involving family, friends, and partners. Reading through

both passages made me realize how we can quickly get off track, but simple strategies can get us
reconnected in our lives to have healthier and effective relationships. Being connected with your

inner self opens the doors to many opportunities for becoming someone you never knew existed.

Transformation is not easily achievable, but it is something destined to happen. We are all

destined to grow at different levels and times in our lives, and as explained in Thrive, our “Wake

up call” is where we make sacrifices to better ourselves for a more meaningful, fulfilling, and

successful life (Huffington, 2015).

The take away. The major takeaway from this is to cherish and take care of my

relationships. But, before prioritizing others, it is vital to put myself first. The more self-aware I

am, the better I can be for my relationships. The more empathetic, creative, and generous I will

become. There is no perfection in relationships, but there are many techniques that sustain them.

Creating and maintaining solid bonds will build a sense of stability and a healthy future for me.

Transformation is a lifetime process and being mindful of who I am will lead me to the person

I’ve always dreamt of. Surrounding myself with the people I relate with, practicing good habits,

eliminating my self-hatred, do things that I love even if it’s silly. Stay in touch with mother

nature. There is more to life than what I know now. Doing good will attract good. Thus, gaining

functional relationships and thriving with love.

 References

Guerrero, L. K., Andersen, P. A., & Afifi, W. A. (2018). Guerrero, Andersen, Afifi. Close

Encounters: Communication in Relationships (5th ed). SAGE Publication. Retrieved

from https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/423782/sp/17976694/mi/59909654?cfi=

%2F4%2F2%5Bs9781506377742.i882%5D%2F16%5Bs9781506377742.i936%5D

%2F10%5Bs9781506377742.i963%5D%2F2%2C%2F1%3A0%2C%2F1%3A0

Huffington, A. (2014). Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of

Wellbeing, Wisdom, and Wonder. New York: 2014, 2015 Crown Publishing Group.