Caitlin Boyle lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.  She’s the writer behind The Healthy Tipping Point blog.  And, one of her personal crusades is against “Fat Talk,” so she started Operation Beautiful, which encourages women the world-over to leave notes in public places — at work, at the gym, at the grocery store — to remind other women “You are beautiful!” or “You are amazing just the way you are!” With a personal crusade as powerful and inspiration as that, how could we not get to her to fill out the Thrivival Questionnaire?  She graciously accepted our request as she was coming off a book tour celebrating the release of the Operation Beautiful book!  Here’s what she had to say. 

What does “thriving” mean to you? 

Thriving means adapting to life changes and tackling them with a positive attitude!

What do you do on a regular basis in an effort to thrive? 

I RUN! I love to run.  Running clears my head, gives me a boost, and is way more effective than a cup of coffee (but I rely on that too).  I also love to read good fiction books and post Operation Beautiful notes.

In what ways have you gone from survival mode to “thrivival” mode? 

I guess I stopped surviving professionally.  I was stuck in a job that I didn’t love and it was a struggle just to wake up in the mornings.  Looking back, my job was so depressing.  Taking the leap and becoming self-employed was totally worth it.

What are some things that get in the way of your efforts to thrive? 

I think it’s really important to learn to say no to things that you really don’t have time for.  I tend to overextend myself and my personal happiness and core business suffers as a result.  Saying no nicely is a good thing!

If you feel low, how do you boost your level of thriving? 

Naps!  Naps are awesome.

Who, in your life, or “in life,” do you admire for their efforts to thrive?

I really admire Angela from OhSheGlows.com.  She quit her soul-sucking job and launched an online bakery.  She overcame an eating disorder and found new balance in her life.  She’s an awesome person who is definitely thriving in all she does!

Check out all the other responses to the Thrivival Questionnaire here.