Are you happy? Maybe that’s too much of a loaded question: happiness can mean so many things!
Think about it though, just for a moment. Are you ACTUALLY happy or are you living a life that is just “okay.”
Are you living to work? Or working to live? Are you surviving or thriving?
I guess it depends on how we define each word.
1: to remain alive or in existence : live on
2: to continue to function or prosper
1: to grow vigorously : FLOURISH
2: to gain in wealth or possessions : PROSPER
3: to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances — often used with on
Which one of those sounds more ATTRACTIVE? Which one sounds more FUN?!
It’s easy to just survive, especially in the world we live in.
Most of us live paycheck to paycheck. We work because we have to, not because we want to. We stay in jobs we hate because we have families relying on us, because of health insurance, a 401K, or because if we left we wouldn’t know what to do with our lives.
Is that really the life you were meant to live? I don’t believe it is! You were created to thrive and to live a full life, contributing your unique talents to this world.
Of course circumstances can get in the way, but if you want more out of your life, take a look at the aspects where you feel like you are just “surviving” and see what you can do.
“To thrive is a choice. It’s an attitude, and your ability to thrive in the world is deeply connected to the actions you take on a daily basis and the belief structures you embrace.” –Panache Desai
From Surviving To Thriving: Find Your Why
The number one way to go from surviving to thriving is to figure out why you want to change. If you have an extremely strong “why,” you will be motivated to change your circumstances no matter what obstacles you encounter.
Maybe you want to provide a better life for your children. Maybe you want to help those that can’t help themselves. Maybe you saw your parents hit retirement without enough savings, and you don’t want to do the same.
Whatever it is, get specific. Write it down and keep that “why” close to your heart. Let it be the motivation that pushes you ahead.
Write it on your mirror, tape it to the ceiling above your bed, tattoo it to your face; whatever works for you so you keep it front and center in your heart and mind.
From Surviving To Thriving: Change Your Mindset
Going from surviving to thriving is also about mindset. If you believe that you are meant to thrive and you look at the world through an abundance mindset instead of a scarcity one, that is a great step to moving towards thriving.
YOU ARE WORTH IT!
So, how can you change your mindset? Affirmations are one of the best ways I have found to do that. I talk about them briefly in a previous blog post HERE.
From Surviving To Thriving: Find Your Tribe
Surrounding yourself with the right people who are positive and motivated and who lift you up instead of tearing you down can also help you to go from surviving to thriving.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of miserable people out there and, as they say, misery loves company. You may need to look outside of your current circle to find people who want to thrive just like you, or who have bigger dreams to fulfill.
This doesn’t mean that you have to abandon your old friends entirely; it just may mean that you need to spend less time with them, or share less about your hopes and dreams with those that want to diminish them.
Keep searching for the right people to lock arms with. They are out there. You just have to find them.
And if you have to do it alone for awhile, be your biggest cheerleader (see above, Change Your Mindset) and embrace it as a challenge that can be overcome, not a circumstance that limits you.
From Surviving To Thriving: Set Goals and Take Action
Once you know your “why,” you have a positive and abundant mindset and you have a group of positive people around you, then it’s time to act.
Make a list of the large goals you want to achieve and then break them down into small actions that you can do to get you there.
If you get overwhelmed, focus on your daily three. What are the three most important tasks you need to do today that will get you closer to your goal? Make the list before you go to bed so when you wake up the next day you know what you have to do. You can wake up and conquer your day!
Still not convinced you can (or deserve to) have it all? Here’s what Maya Angelou has to say about life:
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
Want to join me and move from surviving to thriving? Check out what I’m doing HERE and let’s connect further.
Comment below on whether you’re surviving or thriving or what you’re going to do to go from surviving to thriving.