Thriving -VS- Surviving:
Perhaps you, like I, have been told by others that you are a survivor. And, maybe you, like I, have even said to yourself, “I’m a survivor.” We pull through a difficult situation and soldier on saying, “there, I managed to survive that!” Surviving implies we are still managing to exist but doesn’t offer hope for much more than that. As a matter of fact, surviving actually means, “to continue to live or exist.” Many years ago, I realized I wanted much more from life than mere survival. I wanted to live a rich, full, abundant life! I wanted to learn, grow, and develop an interesting, wonderful life. I wanted to thrive. Thriving is defined as, “to grow or develop well, to prosper, or to flourish.”
The differences between surviving and thriving are very basic. If we are surviving, we are doing just what is necessary to live. We are just getting by. Thrivers are people who want to live full, rich lives. They live each day on purpose. There are potholes in life. If we are merely surviving, we are always looking for the next pothole. We fall into it, struggle our way out, only to say, “there, I told you so.” As thrivers, we have learned, grown, and developed a great navigation system in life. Our positive life choices have helped build a better road for our journeys. We have the courage, strength, and expectation we will develop the tools needed to help us through a variety of life’s situations.
A final and very important component to thriving is gratitude. When a thriver comes through a difficult situation they don’t spend time moaning or complaining about how hard life is. Instead, they express gratitude and remain engaged in living life fully, not merely existing.
My faith is very important to me, so I never actually feel I am traveling through life without a safety net. Knowing this gives me the courage to live my life with wonderful expectation…to thrive!
Are you a thriver ? I hope so. But, if you’re not, you can begin to change your story right now by developing expectations of a full, abundant life. When we see our lives as the gifts they truly are, our thoughts, words, and actions will support the development of a successful, abundant, thriving life.
Blessings,
Coach M