This question is something that over the last few weeks its all I can think about. It bubbled up inside of me during a two day girls trip a few weeks ago when the cabin we stayed in was so far off the beaten path that you can’t get cell service or WiFi/internet service (gasp!). There was lots of time to think about life during our leisurely, relaxing (and oh so beautiful) 4 hour kayak trip down the river, visiting amazing waterfalls, sitting by the campfire and laying in bed each night listening to all the animals in the woods (that was a little creepy sometimes! lol).
Anyway, when the question was first introduced to me (I believe it was in Facebook group or a post on a friend’s wall) a few years ago, it stumped me – I didn’t even really know what thriving meant so I looked up the definition:
(a) to prosper; be fortunate or successful.
(b) to grow or develop vigorously; flourish
That still didn’t help. I logically “got” what the definition meant, but when it came to applying that to my life…I still didn’t understand (yeah, sometimes I just way overthink things!) what it meant to live a life where you’re thriving and not just surviving. But, I’ve really been thinking about this more the last few weeks and I’ve come to a huge realization that I’m just surviving right now.
- In Business
- I do the bare minimum in my business (taking care of clients because that’s what pays my bills) and nothing more.
- I have enough income coming in to cover the necessities most of the time, but other times it’s the ole ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ game.
- Going along with ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’, when I need an influx of income I can hustle. I know how to hustle and I will hustle. But then I slump off again and go back to just doing the bare minimum to get by.
- I’m not putting any time or effort into my passion – this site and sharing my message and ‘getting out there’ on social media, etc. to build my tribe.
- In LifeÂ
- I’ve stopped exercising and went back to a completely sedentary life which has caused some health issues…again.
- I’ve stopped eating healthy.
- I’m drinking a lot of Diet Coke again.
- I’ve let food control me again – it has taken over my life and I’m completely obsessed with it.
- I’ve gained all 54 lbs. (plus 6 more) I had lost back
- Normal activity like walking up/down the steps to my apartment has become a chore because I get so out of breath and it hurts my knees so bad.
- I’m still hanging out with friends and doing things with them, but I prefer to be home alone with food so I can eat all I want when I want.
- I’ve stopped dating again because I’ve gained so much weight back I’m embarrassed to put myself out there.
I’m sitting here admitting I’m not shining right now. This is NOT the life I want to live. And I certainly don’t think this is the life God wants me living. This is NOT a thriving life. I’m merely surviving, and sometimes it doesn’t even feel like I’m doing that. But there’s something so empowering about admitting this. There’s something so empowering about taking responsibility for where I’m at right now and that I did this, no one else.
So, tomorrow is a new day and I’m going to start taking baby steps to start living a life where I’m thriving and not just surviving! And what does thriving mean to me?
- In Business
- Taking the time, even if it’s just 20-30 minutes a day, to work on MY business.
- Taking the time and action to put into place things that can provide passive income (products, writing/setting up autoresponders with affiliate links/promos)
- Interacting and building relationships with those around me
- In Life
- Get moving again! I’ve set a goal for 3 days of week of 15 minutes of activity.
- Eating healthy. My goal is to cut out the fast food and start cooking/eating at home at least 6 days a week. I’ve also set a goal of at least one fruit or one vegetable a day (I know this isn’t much but considering I haven’t been eating any fruits or vegetables at all, this is a great starting place)
- Check out the Thursday night OA (over eaters anonymous) meeting to find some support/help for the food issues.
- Start putting money into savings; instead of spending “extra” money – save it!
There’s a lot of other things I think of when I think of having a thriving life, but the list could go on and on and on. So I’ll stop here with just a few of the basic things that I feel are most important for me right now 🙂
Tish – thank you for sharing this. It was brave and honest. I too have just been surviving instead of thriving for the last few years. I’ve gained the 40 pounds I lost last year. I’ve been doing the bare minimum to get by. You’ve inspired me to know it’s never too late. As long as we have breath in our bodies, we have the chance to create a better life for ourselves. I will join you in your journey back to self improvement. Take care, Faith
Thank you for your comment Faith! Yes, it’s never too late to create a better life for ourselves. I’m learning it’s a work in progress, something that is more of a journey and not a destination (if that makes sense). While I rock a lot of things in my life, there are still those days where I struggle with playing small (doing just enough to get by). Sometimes it just feels “easier” just getting by; but I know that’s not true. Take it one day at a time 🙂