I Am Here To Thrive

Do you ever feel like you are going through your life merely surviving rather than truly thriving, growing, blossoming? I spent years on and off feeling like this.   Even now it still creeps up but my conscious level is very clear and I know how to feel it and Let that Shit Go!

It was on my recent two week trip to the Cayman Islands that it all became completely clear to me (yes there was yet another catalyst, but a story for another time). Let me just say… I was sick and tired of stuffing shit down.  The last 16 plus years of decisions, choices, and at times life that I just had no control over (or I thought I had no control over) was killing me inside… because I was stuffing the pain down thinking I was doing myself a favor and I could handle it I was the strong one – I had the background training to deal – LAUGH OUT LOUD and WHAT THE FUCK was I thinking!  Believe me when I say after a while and years of stuffing things down there was NO more room and it was time!

Those times when life just feels really demanding, like I am spending a lot of time trying to help  and yet often still end up simply feeling anxious and tired and sometimes overwhelmed with my life.

One huge lesson  I had learned in my 20’s was not to compare my life with the lives of others and I never wished to be in anyone else’s predicament.  The grass is NOT greener on the other side of the fence. Often while ‘everyone’ else looks like they have it all together… at least from the outside – REMINDER probably not.  We all have our own lessons to learn in this lifetime. It never helps when I compare my insides with other people’s outsides!

Over time, although it felt really counter intuitive, I became aware that to start to really thrive in my life I needed to slow down and look at me. I needed to take responsibility for my choices and actions in life, rather than feeling like a victim to my life. I needed to learn how to say no to those things and people that didn’t align to what brings joy, meaning and purpose to my life. I needed to find some self-compassion and practice self-care!

I learned to deeply appreciate the simple things in life,  my passion for tropical travel, my morning coffee, a good book, time with my daughter and my long overdue path to #gettingbacktome. I learned to feel gratitude #SoDamnGrateful.  To focus on the beauty Mother Nature lets rise and set each day. And to practice acceptance and learn from the challenges that will always come with me being alive in the Universe as it stands.

Much of the time now I do feel like I am thriving and as Maya Angelou’s  quote goes ‘My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style’… sounds like a wonderful recipe to me!

A reminder that life can be simple – it’s our choices that make it difficult at times.  Begin Soul Stepping for your-self!