On Thriving.

Thrive. According to dictionary.com, this word means "to prosper; be fortunate or successful; also to grow or develop vigorously; flourish." My all-time favorite band for life is Switchfoot. Whether they'll ever know it or not, their songs and lyrics have impacted me in a meaningful way. My brother & I have spent countless hours discussing words Jon Foreman & his band have written, as they are deeply thought-provoking. Many songs talk about our purpose on this earth and how we can reach others, and what we can do to grow closer to God while we wait to see Him in heaven (which, I personally can't wait for). 

One of my favorite songs by Switchfoot is "Thrive" (link to lyrics). It talks about how life can wear on your soul and sometimes you just feel like your own existence is a hoax. I would be lying if I said I don't feel like this sometimes. The first line of the song refers to fighting things I can't see. To me, this is in reference to spiritual warfare happening all around us. As a Christian, I am a pawn in battles I don't even know are going on. This is where I look to God as my strength and comfort, especially in the most trying times when I feel so "down and can't get up."

The song also talks about wanting to "thrive, not just survive." When I used to play in sports tournaments, the coaches' motto would be "survive and advance", meaning just get through one game and move on. There are some people who have adopted this attitude into their daily lives. They think just get through today, make it to tomorrow, then sleep and do it all over again. This is the absolute antithesis of thriving; in fact, it's barely classified as surviving. 

While it's normal to get into a funk sometimes, where yes, you just need to survive and make it through, this is no way to live life. I come into contact with dozens of people on a daily basis, and I can't tell you how many times people tell me "Oh, I'm just here today", or "Well, it's just another day you know". I know there are circumstances beyond your control sometimes, but when you get into a prolonged attitude of complacency, your life loses its purpose and meaning. 

For me, I do all the "fun" things I do so I feel like I'm THRIVING. Thriving looks different for everyone too, I realize. For stay-at-home moms, thriving might look different than a business man. My thriving looks like this: first and foremost serving God, then traveling as much as I can, being the best PT I can be, doing as much as I can, and saying YES to as many things as I can within reason. Ultimately, yes, I'm living for something bigger than this earth; however, as long as I'm here my philosophy is to soak it up and enjoy what I can while I can, all while waiting for the ultimate eternal vacation. 

What is your thriving? Are you living that on a daily basis; if not, what is preventing it? "A warm body doesn't mean you're alive"; I would challenge and encourage you, start thriving and stop just living day to day with a ho-hum, poor me, life is boring, attitude. Life is as exciting as you make it! 

PS If you haven't listened to Thrive, do it now. You're welcome.
PPS Comment below with how you thrive or why you're not thriving
Twitter: @jen_being_jen IG: @jenbeingjen