Are you thriving in your life right now?
We often associate surviving as a sense of ‘hanging in there’, sometimes feeling as though we’re putting ‘one foot in front of the other’, simply to get through the day, and maybe living day by day with no sense of a possible different life for ourselves. However sometimes surviving is more about a feeling of apathy, or lacking motivation to making positive changes, using excuses and blaming circumstances or others for our lives. Many people think “Well, maybe this is as good as it gets!”, or ‘that’s all I could expect or hope for’. Often we tell ourselves, ‘I could never do that” when a new opportunity presents itself.
On the other hand, thriving is about having a strong sense of purpose and meaning to our lives, living each day with possibilities, joy and excitement. We feel alive, vital and connected to the world and others. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we don’t experience challenges and that we have our life mapped out well into the future, but whatever our circumstances, we are able to use it as an opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.
So how do we go from surviving to thriving?
The first step is to ask yourself whether what you are currently doing fills you with a sense of meaning and purpose, a reason to get out of bed each day. If not, then how can you find your purpose? Most of us assume that it will suddenly and magically appear, however this is seldom the case.
There are no clear directions, but perhaps a way forward is to choose to commit yourself to something bigger than yourself, something that will allow your purpose and passion to evolve. By focusing less on the trappings of external successes and impressing others, but more on what you can contribute to making a difference in your world will help your purpose to evolve. Building on your past positive experiences, tuning in to what’s really important to you, and using your skills, talents and what gives you joy will assist you to discover a sense of meaning and direction.
Only then will you truly thrive!