Time to Thrive

If you were to imagine a scale of surviving to thriving, where you do you see yourself living on that continuum? How much aliveness, joy, peace, fulfillment and prosperity are you experiencing day to day? If you ask me, these are VITAL questions for us to be answering, and I mean answering from a radically honest place. I am a firm believer that we are meant to live in the land of thriving. Not the land of struggle and hardship. Not the land of just getting by.

So this article is devoted to highlighting some of what I see holding us back from thriving, what keeps us stuck and playing small. And of course, we will also be looking at what can generously support us with experiencing the delight of thriving!

Let’s begin by taking a look at what can keep us struggling in survival mode....

~ Limiting Beliefs Life is meant to be hard. It is always a struggle. Work is work. It is not supposed to be fun or enjoyable. Doing what you love can’t pay the bills. Success never comes easy. Dreams have no place in reality. That is why they are called dreams!

Do any of these common limiting beliefs sound familiar? And if so, what has been the impact of living with such records playing in your head? I really want to encourage you to become crystal clear about the beliefs you are currently living by around what is possible or “realistic.” And as you are being curious in this area, I want to emphasize the extreme importance of not judging the existence of any limiting beliefs or stories that you may find running the show. This is simply about exposing them, which will diffuse their power immensely. We can then consciously choose to “undo” any conditioning that no longer serves us and rewrite new, empowering beliefs to live by. And belief is everything! As Mary Kay Ash said, “Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly. But the bumblebee doesn’t know that, so it goes on flying anyway.”

~ Limiting Language Not surprisingly, limiting language tends to come along with limiting beliefs. So this is your invitation to also increase your attention around the words you use on a regular basis. For example, consider how often you might say things like, “I can’t”, “I should or shouldn’t”, “BUT,” or “I have to.” We want to remember that restricting words shut us down immediately. Negative energy and a perspective of powerlessness do NOT call us forth. So let’s give up this self-defeating habit and choose affirming, positive, powerful language. Let’s be ultra willing to experiment with making this shift and be wide open to enjoying the dramatically different results.

~ We have not given ourselves full permission to play big and bold in our lives While there is LOTS we could explore in the realm of granting ourselves permission and how crucial this practice is for thriving, today I want to mention some top culprits that I see holding us back, time and time again. They include guilt, feeling undeserving, being overly focused on others, feeling selfish or self-indulgent, fear of change and the unknown, and feeling silly or naïve when we try to think big & bold in our fear-based climate.

Again, anything sounding familiar here? If so, I believe the most important thing to be mindful of is how we can respond powerfully to these challenges so that we can still move forward with granting ourselves full permission to thrive. Bottom line, it is essential that we recognize and honor the TRUTH that our natural state is one of joy and well-being. We are not meant to struggle. We are divinely designed to thrive. Furthermore, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the gifts that we bring to the world when we are fully alive and thriving. It is an incredibly loving and generous act for ourselves AND others.

~ Needing to know the “HOW” If we can’t immediately see how it will all unfold, how we can really, truly thrive in the ways that we desire, we often don’t take action. We let not knowing the “answers” or the “how” stop us from starting the journey. We lack trust. And when this is happening, we are forgetting that mindset comes first. We are forgetting that, ultimately, it is the source of thriving. So given this truth, I lovingly challenge you to just decide how you want to BE. For example, maybe you want to be trusting, at peace, confident, joyful or excited. Focus there, and take it one step at a time. And during this process, remember the power of one “small” step. One shift or change can have a profound impact. Trust that when we declare our intentions to the universe with heart, conviction and genuineness, support follows. We are creating the space in our lives for the growth and goodness. “The way” is revealed.

And now it’s time to give our undivided attention to that which can help us to thrive!

~ ABSOLUTELY DECIDE that you are going to thrive This is about bringing tons of consciousness to your journey and making a decision to no longer go through life in automatic pilot mode. Instead, you will be making a fierce and wholehearted commitment to thriving. You will declare your intention and devote yourself to embodying the spirit of thriving. And most of all, this is about refusing to make excuses and refusing to quit. You WILL thrive.

~ Honor your truth and passions Authenticity ignites aliveness. Being aligned with who we really are is the energy and juice of thriving. So if you don’t yet know what you are passionate about, please don’t wait another minute to begin the exploration. Start dedicating some time to joyfully discovering this essential ingredient for thriving. I promise you that it is time SO well spent!

~ Create your vision and spend quality time with it This is about getting really clear as to what thriving looks like and feels like for you. We each have a beautifully unique vision to design and live, so this is about allowing your truth, passions and values to guide you in this splendid process. What do you want to create? How do you want to live? And what wisdom does your Highest Self have to share with you as you immerse yourself in this creative playground?

~ Embrace change and the unknown It is often said that the only constant in life is change. And this is so true! In light of this reality, the more open we can be to savoring the divine opportunities that come along with new experiences, the more we thrive. So I encourage you to keep your focus on the learning, growth and expansion that flows abundantly within the space of transition. Can you see the energy and possibilities that are cultivated in these times? Personally, I am convinced that our journeys would never be as rich without these extraordinary gifts.

~ Radiate love, generosity and gratitude By choosing to feel good and choosing to spread the goodness in this way, we strengthen our connection to Source and enjoy a much deeper KNOWING of our true divine nature. And as we dwell in this high vibration place, we come to an intimate understanding that not only does it feel quite lovely to hang out there, there is also a profound creative power that comes with appreciation. We see that more goodness easily flows in to appreciate! What we give to the Universe comes back to us. What we focus on grows.

~ Surround yourself with those who are thriving and/or are committed to such I believe that we cannot overstate the power of choosing environments and resources that support our expansion, lift us up and inspire us to fully claim our divine potential. Therefore, I strongly urge you to take a close look at your daily life and your support system. Do you have people and/or mentors in your life who OUTRAGEOUSLY inspire you and boldly challenge your thinking about what is possible? If so, congratulations and keep playing with them! And if not, please be sure to make finding such partners a top priority.

In closing, I invite you to allow the following words by Michelangelo to settle deep into your heart and soul, as he spoke volumes with just this one statement. He brilliantly said, “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”