We. Are. THRIVING.
Those of you who see me on a regular basis can probably attest to the fact that I say some variation of this phrase at least 500 times per day:
I am thriving. You are thriving. He/She/It is thriving. We are thriving. You all are thriving. They are thriving. ~wow, that's a lot of thriving~
I mean, if you were given a dollar for every time I said this, you could probably pay off the national debt (did anyone suggest this solution to Congress yet?) or at least get a really nice car.
But it's true; I really do say "thriving" a lot, and while to some it might seem silly, trivial, or even annoying (sorry friends), over these past few months, this word has become an important part of my vocabulary, and this phrase has become an important mantra for my life.
Because, as trivial at it may seem, this phrase has the power to combat negativity, promote positivity, and encourage living the best life possible.
Now you may be asking yourself, but what does it even mean to thrive? What does thriving have to do with positivity? How do I thrive?
It all starts with mindset.
Every time I think or want to say something negative, or when something doesn't go my way, rather than complaining about it, I can quickly reframe my mindset and say to myself: "It's okay. I am still thriving."
Or in other words, "Yes, this thing did not go the way that I had planned, but this will not keep me from living my best life."
Because it's true!
We all, in our lives, have the potential to be great and do great things, and we are filled with the potential to be extraordinary. Just because things don't always go our way does not mean that we suddenly lose our potential to be great. Just because we mess up does not mean our life is a mess.
Think big picture.
Many times we associate thriving solely with success, and we measure this success based physical accomplishments. However, thriving involves more than just the tangible results and outcomes.
Thriving actually begins with growth, and growth begins with failure.
At its core, to thrive means to flourish and grow abundantly, and in order to grow, we have to be willing to put ourselves out there, strive for excellence, and accept the possibility of failure.
Yes you read that right: in order to thrive, we must accept failure.
As a perfectionist, this is something that is tough to hear. I completely understand how hard it is to come to terms with the potential of failure in our lives, and I still struggle with this.
However, I have learned that, unfortunately, not everything in your life is going to go as you have planned, and that is actually okay.
With failure and challenges comes growth and with growth comes the ability to evolve into the best version of yourself. So rather than letting the little things add up and weigh you down, focusing in on the bigger picture will allow you to continually push yourself towards this better you.
By changing your mindset, you have the power to change your life. By seeing yourself as thriving, you become just that.
So here's the exciting thing: no matter who you are or where you come from, you have the power to thrive.
What it means to thrive is much more than just being on top of the world. It's about growth. It's about pushing yourself towards becoming a better person daily, even in the smallest of ways. It's about putting things into perspective. It's about knowing that you are doing the best that you can in that moment.
So go out there and thrive!
And yes, every single day I will continually remind both you and myself that, no matter what, we are thriving.