Beyond survival

A question during today's chat with a friend yielded a simple response that has provoked a lot of thought in me. I asked how she was surviving this hectic time of year. She said that she was surviving, not thriving.

It's a fascinating answer the more I reflect on it. Surviving, not thriving. That's how I feel I've been living for a long time, and I suspect a lot of people can relate. I'm not knocking surviving. It's certainly a far sight better than the alternative, but shouldn't we aspire to thrive rather than survive?

A couple days ago I wrote about the major and minor changes in my life this past year. Except for the most frivolous items on that list, those changes can help me thrive, even if I made the decisions with survival in mind. I moved to regain the peace of mind I had lost. I stopped keeping stats for basketball twice a week because I needed more time for myself.

I suppose this is just a streamlined version of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but that doesn't take the shine off the wisdom contained in those three tidy words. I've taken my share of lumps this year. Nevertheless, I feel like I'm ready for a breakthrough. I'm prepared to do more than merely survive, yet I couldn't say that without the stability I've found in some areas. I know there are big enough challenges ahead of me, things I may hope just to survive. Still, for everything that isn't perfect, I need to acknowledge that some circumstances and developments are improved from what they were.

There will be days when surviving may be all I desire--that's life--but it's heartening to realize that I can reach for more than that. My friend probably typed those words without the hope I found in them, but inspiration can come from unlikely places. May we all thrive where we need it most.