How to Thrive When Most People are Trying to Survive
Do you want to survive in this world we live in or thrive? We were all put on this earth to thrive. However, it can be easy to get bogged down in the busyness of life and realize time is just passing you by. We get stuck in a job we don’t like but to pay the bills we settle and give up on our dreams. We stay in relationships because they are comfortable and we are afraid of what would happen if we left. The older we get the harder it can be to make a change. As Marianne Williamson said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”
To thrive and live a powerful life we need to give ourselves permission to do so. We must know what our core values are and what drives us. While these may change as our life evolves, meditation and journaling will give your mind space to figure out what you want in life. It is this inner work that will allow you to set priorities in your life. If you do not know your “why” you run the risk of living an unfulfilled life always chasing something new, which only results in temporary happiness and fulfillment. Take time daily to sit with your thoughts and reflect on them. Journaling is a cathartic experience. Putting pen to paper will allow you find patterns in your thinking. It will expose your limiting beliefs and what excites you to take action. Besides journaling your thoughts, I also recommend writing what you are grateful for. No matter what is going on in our life there is always something we can be grateful for. Writing down three things every day will get your mind to focus more on gratitude than what you are lacking in life.
Not only do we need to take care of the mind to thrive in life we also need to take care of the body. This does not mean you need to go out and run a marathon or put in hours at the gym. The key is to move and get your blood flowing every day. A walk around the neighborhood is a great place to start if you haven’t been active in a while. Starting my day with some type of movement helps put me in the right mindset to handle what life throws at me. If you want to do more than walk, try doing 50 burpees in the morning. Not many people like doing burpees but it will take you less than five minutes and provides a great full-body workout. Try it for 30 days and watch as your body and mind become more resilient.
Relationships are an important part of life too. It is critical to surround yourself with people that are trying to better themselves. According to Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If you are surrounded by toxic, negative people it will surely bring you down. When you have people in your life with similar values and dreams it will drive you to better yourself. The energy within the group will bring everyone up and everyone will thrive.
To sum it up, if you are tired of just surviving in this world, it is up to you to take the steps toward thriving. It begins with a mental practice, a physical practice and quality relationships. While the above practices work for me they may not work for everyone. However, I believe it is a good place to start. The key is to figure out what drives you in this world. When we have an active body, the mind will be sharper and more focused. Make sure the relationships in your life are positive. Stay away from toxic people who are trying to bring everyone else down to their level. When we figure out our “why” we thrive in this world and are a better person for our family and friends along with a greater contributor to society. If you are just surviving right now, it’s never too late to make a change and get what you want out of life.
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