From Powerlessness to Empowered and Thriving

Transitioning out of hardship

How does one thrive in a harsh world?   Are we thriving through accomplishment?  We all want to feel as though our lives are going the way we want them to.  But, what if what you want isn’t actually good for you, or good for others?  Would you be thriving then, when you got what you want?  Or, what if what you want is good for you but how you are trying to get what you want isn’t?  These are the fundamental questions of life, it seems, that drive us to question how we are doing. The desire to feel as though we are progressing is deeply ingrained in our human nature.   We have what is called “evolutionary drive” and while there are many psychological, social and emotional factors to understanding this, we can simply say, we want to feel as though life is working for us, not against us.  I think the idea of progress is captured nicely by the word “thriving” because “thriving” is such a dynamic and rich word.  It encompasses so much more than, let’s say, “achievement”, which is what I think most of us associate with feeling a sense of progress.  

Thriving can be defined as the state of flourishing, growing, and prospering.  These three words alone give us a wonderful sense of personal expansion and the abundance associated with thriving. Thriving goes beyond mere survival and encompasses the notion of living fully and abundantly.  When someone is thriving, they are not only meeting their basic needs but also experiencing personal growth, fulfillment, and a sense of wellbeing.  At the very core or heart of a person, to feel as though they are thriving would mean a sense of self-actualization; that they are Becoming.  Thriving is achieving our goals, developing resilience in the face of challenges, maintaining a positive outlook, and experiencing a strong sense of purpose and satisfaction in life.  It encompasses physical, mental, and emotional well-being, as well as a sense of connection to others and the world at large.  Essentially, thriving is about living in a way that allows us to realize our full potential and lead fulfilling, meaningful lives.

Thriving is a deeply intrinsic and personal desire and yet the collective ideas around thriving inform us and become interwoven with unhealthy notions of success, like competition, comparison and striving. When we accept ideas like “success is hard work”, we accept that a good life is a hard life.  Because if a good life is a life that we are thriving in then this must mean that we have to expect the struggle too, no?  The world has taught us that we need “x”, “y” and “z” in order to feel accomplished and this influences the way that we attempt to thrive.  So we learn to strive, and set personal goals that we think will give us that sense of thriving that we are searching for because without this sense of thriving we experience suffering within.  When we accept that pain, blood, sweat, tears and personal sacrifice are required in order for us to truly succeed we misunderstand thriving.  When we untangle the harmful ideas about success from thriving what we are left with are the gems of life and a true path to a healthier and more personally rewarding and fulfilling kind of success; authentic success.