Sarah Ban Breathnach
Here is a detailed, SEO-optimized article about Sarah Ban Breathnach:
Sarah Ban Breathnach – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes
Explore the life and works of Sarah Ban Breathnach — bestselling author of Simple Abundance, pioneer of the gratitude journal movement. Read her biography, major books, influence, famous quotes, and lessons.
Introduction
Sarah Ban Breathnach (pronounced “Bon Brannock”) is an American author, speaker, and spiritual mentor known for bringing practices of gratitude, simplicity, and authenticity into everyday life. Her book Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy became a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s, and she has since written many companion volumes, journals, and reflections that reach a broad readership. Through her writings and life story, she invites people to slow down, connect with the ordinary, and cultivate inner wealth beyond material success.
Early Life and Background
Sarah Ban Breathnach was born May 5, 1947 (sometimes sources simply state 1947) in Westbury, New York. Sarah Crean.
From a young age, she had creative aspirations. According to her biography, her early ambition was to become an actress. At age 25, she moved to London to pursue acting, supporting herself by working as a secretary.
She returned to the U.S. in the mid-1970s. In 1975, she began publishing in newspapers such as The Washington Post. Ed Sharp (hence, she has sometimes been known as Sarah Ban Breathnach Sharp).
A head injury in midlife appears to have been a pivot: while recovering, she became intrigued by Victorian-era domestic magazines and traditions, which later inspired some of her early works.
Career and Major Works
Breakthrough with Simple Abundance
Sarah Ban Breathnach’s signature book is Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, first published in 1995.
Simple Abundance was rejected by more than 20 publishers before Warner Books accepted it. The New York Times bestseller list and remained there for more than two years.
Her follow-up book, Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self, debuted at number one on bestseller lists (NYT, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly) and has sold over 1.2 million copies.
She also created companion works, such as The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude, which gives space for readers to list daily gratitudes.
Beyond that, her bibliography includes titles such as Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity, Romancing the Ordinary: A Year of Simple Splendor, Moving On, Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions: Nostalgic Suggestions for Re-creating the Family Celebrations of a Bygone Era, The Victorian Nursery Companion, The Best Part of the Day, and more.
She has also contributed as a columnist (e.g. with The Washington Post Writers Group) and as a contributing editor for Good Housekeeping.
Financial Ups & Downs, Transparency & Rebuilding
Although she experienced tremendous success, Sarah Ban Breathnach also went through financial hardship. In interviews she has shared that at one point she “lost her heart, lost her home, lost her bearings” after overextending in ventures, philanthropy, and publishing experiments.
One such venture was an online magazine tied to her brand, which faced losses during the dot-com downturn. She reportedly lost over $1 million in the process. Peace and Plenty, she recounts this period of rise, fall, and spiritual discovery.
In telling these struggles openly, she presented a more nuanced portrait: not simply a success guru, but someone who has known failure, recalibrated, and sought meaning beyond outward success.
Influence, Speaking & Legacy
Sarah Ban Breathnach is often credited with popularizing the notions of the gratitude journal and “authentic self” in mainstream culture. The Oprah Winfrey Show and Super Soul Sunday.
She founded the Simple Abundance Charitable Fund (in 1995) to support nonprofits; over time it awarded more than $1 million to over 100 organizations.
Her writing and workshops have been embraced by women seeking a spiritual, balanced, and values-centered approach to life, in contrast to purely material definitions of success.
Her official site also offers training, certification for those who want to lead “Simple Abundance” workshops, and continued engagement with her community and readers.
Personality and Style
-
Warm, invitational tone: Her essays are conversational, gentle, and deeply personal, aiming to feel like a friend speaking quietly rather than a lecturer.
-
Attention to ritual and detail: She often draws from traditions, domestic practices, seasonal observances, and acts of everyday ceremony to ground spiritual life.
-
Vulnerability and authenticity: Her openness about her own successes and failures helps readers trust she is not preaching perfection.
-
Aesthetic sensibility: Her books are often designed with attention to beauty, layout, and visual appeal — reinforcing her message that beauty matters even in small things.
-
Integration of inner and outer life: She emphasizes that spirituality is not apart from how we live daily — from how we arrange our home to how we relate to others and ourselves.
Famous Quotes of Sarah Ban Breathnach
Here are a selection of notable quotes attributed to her:
-
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.”
-
“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”
-
“Stillness is not an absence but an altitude.”
-
“Authenticity requires a certain measure of vulnerability, transparency, and integrity.”
-
“True wealth is not measured in money, but in the richness of one’s soul.”
-
“Give up defining yourself — to yourself or others. You won’t die. You will come to life.”
-
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
(Note: Some of these are drawn from her books or interviews, and may appear in slightly different formulations in different sources.)
Lessons from Sarah Ban Breathnach
From her life and work, several enduring lessons emerge:
1. The power of small practices
Cultivating gratitude, observing simple rituals, slowing down — these small daily acts can reshape mindset and meaning over time.
2. Authenticity over image
Her willingness to share failure teaches that real growth often comes after loss, and that honesty builds deeper connection than polished perfection.
3. Beauty matters
Whether in one’s surroundings, writing, or relationships, paying attention to beauty affirms dignity and invites deeper presence.
4. Wealth beyond money
Her shift from financial success to spiritual contentment shows that true wealth is inner equilibrium, relationships, purpose, and integrity.
5. Resilience and reinvention
Her story demonstrates how one can rebuild after failure, reorient identity, and continue to contribute instead of retreating.
Conclusion
Sarah Ban Breathnach bridged the inner life and the everyday world in a way that resonated with millions. She carved a niche for contemplative, gratitude-centered living at a time of material ambition, and her books remain beloved by those seeking meaning in the ordinary. Her journey — through success, loss, renewal, and renewal again — offers a testimony that life’s deepest treasures often lie not in accumulation but in awareness, presence, and grace.