know in my heart that I am not merely surviving in this life…I am thriving! That I work to make sure of! That is my mindset. It does not mean that I am always winning, but it does mean that I am making the most of whatever goes on in my life. I am coming out of each experience with an arsenal of knowledge and strength.
It is not crazy to be optimistic about life because we all have experiences that occur that we have and will describe as bad or unfavorable….these things are all building blocks for who we are becoming. Whatever it is, when we get to the other side, we have survived the experience, yes, AND we have the opportunity to thrive if we take what we learned into the future.
If we just survive, then we have gotten through the thing and we continue on…it did not change us. That is something that won’t be enough for me!
Everything that I have experienced (or survived) thus far, I have gotten things in return, learned what works and what doesn’t….for those reasons, I am thriving. Everything we go through, grows us. I mean, EVERYTHING! Yes, that too!
Think about some of your experiences….every single experience you have had has given you something. For that reason, if you look at the take-aways and use them to your benefit, you are now thriving from the event. Everything you have gone through….grows you! Every. Single. Thing.
Remember your struggles…
Remember every loss, every frustration, every bad or not-so-great decision. Think about every moment you decided to do something when you were clueless or afraid. The time you did something for the first time and failed….or for the second or third time and still failed…..Every one of those moments are building you, growing you, and giving you something for your toolbox so that you can continue to thrive.
I have been through a lot so far in my life. For me to say I have survived those things would be saying that I made it through the experiences and can now continue to live as I was. The things that I have been through have changed me in some for or fashion so that is not the case for me…and I am sure that it is not the case for you. When we go through things that are tough, we come out different…changed….mind, body, soul, and spirit for the most part.
Think about a big event that happened to you in the last year. Did you move, the loss of a relationship, deal with financial hardship, a health crisis or major family issue?
Do you think that you will ever go through that again the same way it happened the first time? Will you react the same way?
This experience has given you something and now you have a new tool. One to help you handle a little differently than the last time. You are now armed with more knowledge and a different perspective and you are much stronger.
You are much stronger now right? I know that I am.
I have embarrassed myself many times. Now I feel less embarrassed because I know that the world didn’t end and I learned a whole lot for my next go-’round. The bad relationships (friendships included) that I have been through have helped me to overthink less. I now give my attention to the people who display love and value to me, not just say it when it works for them. Every loss or rejection from my past has taught me how to move on quicker and still try again with my heart in mind. Those rejections hurt way less now too. This girl is thriving! I have the tools to manage these things in my life and not overthink them.
When you have seen or been through something before, you overthink things less. You can handle them better and move forward….thriving. That is what you are doing. Not just surviving!
I really appreciate the things that I have been through and have learned that there is nothing that I cannot grow through. I am absolutely grateful for the things that have happened in my life and the things that were withheld from me. We can’t just be grateful for the positive moments, the wins, and great times. We should appreciate everything that has happened in between as well. It has ALL made us into the people we are becoming.