What motivated this blog ?

 This blog is dedicated to self-improvement. The expressions self-improvement, personal development are a bit tricky because self-improvement sort of implies that you aren’t good enough and you ‘need’ to do something to get better. Some writers like to play that card but nothing like that is discussed here.

Here on ththis is the common description for these topics is I am using it so that it is easier for us to be on the same page. I want you to have a full life that you are happy and content with while finding the courage to pursue your dreams.

What is the story behind the name of the blog?

The blog name Anchor to Bloom is a reference to the LOTUS flower. Lotus for me symbolizes connectivity, authenticity and personal development. The lotuses are special plants in the sense, that the lotus starts out ANCHORED, rooted deep in the mud and in order to BLOOM, it must make its way through the murky water until it finally emerges and blossoms in the sun.

What does the Lotus flower symbolize ?

As the lotus flower grows up from the muddy waters into a beautiful blossom, it represents life itself, or more precisely the human condition. The lotus flower is anchored in the dark, the unseen muddy depths and it grows out of that environment into the light to become this gorgeous, visible, enchanting flower, and so do we humans grow and transform.

People can also grow and change as they go through life. The mud is representative of the everyday contrast we face, while the flower symbolizes the integration and overcoming of the challenges and imbalances. Even if they come from emotionally chaotic environments, people still have the possibility to rise up and bloom. We humans are all capable theoretically to integrate and transform the more chaotic states of mind and rise up to the purer, more elevated states of awareness.

NOTE: Lotus is sometimes colloquially called a water lily. Although the lotus flower and the water lily biologically are two different plants, symbolically that difference is unimportant. When we say or use the image of a lotus, or water lily in this post we refer to them as symbols, and so we use them interchangeably here. The lotus flowers, just like water lilies share the same basic symbolic meanings. For reading a detailed guide about the meanings and symbolism of the lotus flower click here: —-. But if you want to find out more about what the lotus means to me personally just continue reading this post.

What does the lotus mean to me?

The lotus flower is characterized by simplicity, harmony and an enchanting beauty. These lovely flowers have a very special grace as they float on the water surface.

In a spiritual sense the symbol of the lotus represents connection and connectivity. In this spiritual sense the human condition is paralleled with the symbol of the lotus as plant represents a connectivity between various mediums. The lotus exists simultaneously in different mediums just like we humans are spiritually known to exist on different layers of the reality. This connection can be seen as the connection between the deeper, unseen layers of existence and the flowering results we see in the physical reality. We humans might be connecting different vibrational realities.

In the case of the lotus, the roots are anchored it in the mud. Mud is a bad sounding word and we use it diminutively but the mud in reality is a nourishing medium and energy source for plant life. Being rooted in this sense means that we are connected to the nourishing source, we are connected to the nourishing base of our existence. There is a long way from the bottom of the pond to the sunlight and crossing it involves a process of growth. Without being anchored in the nourishing field of energy the flower becomes destabilized and short-lived.

As I see it, one of the reasons for the growing anxiousness in the society today is that people want the flower without the roots. Growing takes time and we have formed a social structure that is inpatient. People are wasting their energy on creating fake flowers instead of strong roots. Personal development in my opinion is an ongoing process based on our capability to maintain :

1. our rootedness, our connection to the nourishing fields, being anchored
2. our vitality, our willingness to grow through the waving waters of everyday life
3. our allowance to open up to the light and bloom, the willingness to act and actualize, realize things in the physical reality

The lotus for me symbolizes the process of personal development. So anchor to bloom is a reference to the idea that only the anchored flowers are real. Authentic flowers come from the plants accepted connection and cooperation with the mud, the water, the cycles of light and darkness, the laws of the nature and timing. And even if the process takes time and produces and imperfect flower it is still more valuable than a perfect plastic lotus.

Personal development is an ongoing journey and not a destination. We don’t develop into a state of perfection. No blooming flower is the perfect flower.

Where do you get your insights from?

I am an avid reader and I spend some time reading every single day. I strongly believe that learning, reading and maintaining a continuous, eager interest in the world that is around you and that is within you can lead to a better feeling life experience. I have a small number of favorite books that really changed my life and there are some others that added some detail and clarification to my perspective and shaped how I see the world today. Are you looking for some inspiring good books to read? Check out my reading list and my best books selection for topics like personal development, decision making, emotional intelligence.

Who is behind Anchor to Bloom?

My name is Sophia. I am an economist by profession and the founder and so far the main contributor to this site. I write about what I personally find interesting and my interest revolves around reading, self-discovery, personal development, practical life skills like planning, productivity and organization. I like to do in-depth articles about self-discovery, personal development, journaling and the importance of planning.

I am interested in visual arts and design so occasionally I create and share some Image Quotes as well. I like journaling since I was 15 as I remember and you can read some of my ideas and insights in the some lifestyle stories section of this blog.

I started this blog out because I am reading and researching a lot in the personal development field and when I want to understand something I draw, plan and write notes. This blog started from these notes. I was preparing anyway logical guides for my understanding of topics and I said to myself one day: ‘Why not make these notes a little bit nicer, add some detail and share them with others. Maybe there are people who can understand things better if they see it presented my way. I think I have a different logical perspective than the academic approach and I think it is closer to how we, everyday people understand things. ” And so here we are now.

Main Topics :

1. MINDFULLNESS & EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
2. PLANNING & PRODUCTIVITY
3. BRAINY QUOTES AND POSITIVE INSPIRATIONAL WORDS
4. LIFESTYLE – SELF CARE –  RELAXATION – SHOPPING

The Anchor to Bloom self-care blog features my stories, insights, tips and inspiration for self-care, me-time, beauty, travel, healthy cooking and pretty much all amazing lifestyle topics! It is a personal blog that expresses my own personal insights and so this isn’t a professional advisory board on health and self-care. My idea when creating this online universe was to share my collected knowledge, experience and information base with others who can use these tips and tools on their journey to live a happy, healthy and fulfilled life. I hope this blog brings positive vibes to your lives.