Thriving vs Surviving

Image of a plant surviving after a bushfire

Synonyms: Resilience, flourishes, succeed, strive, and thrive.

It is one thing to survive a crisis but it is far better to thrive than to merely survive. To grow beyond the person we were before the crisis took hold. When we choose to look past the hardship and sadness and look for the gifts or lessons that can be learnt during these times we are then open to experiencing real growth.

Ways to thrive:

1.     Acceptance– Accept and embrace the situation you are in. This way an obstacle is removed so you can get along with trying to deal with the situation the best that you can.

2.     Look for the lesson or gift – the gift may appear to be very badly wrapped but once we find it, it can open a doorway to growth and moving forward rather than staying stagnant. These gifts could be: acceptance, non-resistance, living in the moment, flexibility, inner strength, awareness, not sweating the small stuff.

3.     Re-assess & Prioritise– take time to re-assess your goals, purpose, health (mental, physical and emotional) and change them to suit the current circumstances. Things may need to be put on hold temporarily; thoughts, plans and ideas might need to be changed until you get your feet back onto solid footing. Your health or someone else’s may have to be prioritised.
 

Quotes:

  • · "Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” -George Sheehan
  • · “Take the time to dig deep and find out who your really are. Be the person that you are meant to be. Be strong, walk tall, crown on. It’s time to thrive.” ~ Ella Hicks.
  • "To thrive in life you need three bones. A wish bone. A back-bone. And a funny bone.“ ~ Unknown.
  • "Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.” ~ James Cascio.
  • "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.” ~ Maya Angelou.
  • “What is considered impossible is just a consensus of outdated beliefs.” ~ Bernie S. Siegel M.D.
 
Article by Martine Ford