Thrive Together Counseling

I could tell you that to the definition of thrive is “to grow or develop vigorously”, but that wouldn’t really answer the question. To thrive after all, looks different from person to person. A more important question, is “What does thriving mean to you?” Have you thought about that?

I like to think of the journey of life in terms of surviving, living, and thriving. One day the goal may just be to survive. Getting out of bed is the accomplishment for the day. And that is totally valid! Celebrate your victories! Another day, we might realize our lives are full of love, and we are profoundly happy and thriving in the present moment. Some days, we have gotten past survival but are not in a season of growth or expansion. All of these phases are real and foster growth in life. It is absolutely cliche, but how would we know what it was to thrive, if we didn’t know what it was like to fight to survive?

I can’t define what thriving looks like in your life. That is a deeply personal and values based question. I can tell you what thriving means to me though, and maybe that will help you discover what it is for yourself.

For me, thriving is deeply rooted in the present. If I am rooted in the here and now, I can take in life with all of my senses. I can breathe deep and connect with the energy of everything around me. I can encounter the world with gratefulness. I only feel I am thriving when I am rooted in the present.

The interesting thing about this is that I have a choice. I can choose to be present in the moment, or I can become attached to things that pull me out of present awareness. Present awareness is always an option. Sometimes, when life is particularly painful, it is much harder to want to be present. The fact that awareness is an option though, means that even in the hard times of life, I can choose to thrive.

That is a brief overview of what thriving means to me. What does thriving mean to you? How is your life different when you are fully thriving? Maybe, the answers to these questions can help move you toward a more authentic and fully thriving version of yourself.