Flourish

 

 

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

― Maya Angelou

How many of us are just coasting through life, simply surviving?  I mean, not in just standing on the street, hands out begging for a morsel of rice; not just surviving in a life-threatening situation; not just standing here with an expiry date stamped on our forehead; not just defying the odds with a miracle comeback.  Not those kinds of surviving. 

I mean, are we just blah blah blah, numbly putting one foot in front of the other, blinds closed, doors closed, self-applied misery, refusing to thrive kind of living.  Not just free from chaos and distress.  Not just free from physical, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual illness. 

Are we enjoying life?  Are we functioning well in our personal and social lives?  Do we feel fulfilled?  Do we feel like we are accomplishing things?  Do we feel like we are doing worthwhile things with ourself?  Are we really connecting with others, with life?  Do we truly have quality of life?  Are we flourishing?  I have been really looking at what makes life feel like we are beyond thriving, but truly flourishing.  What make a Flourishing life? 

How well do we Esteem ourself?  How many times a day do we see self-empowerment quotes, memes, posters, writings?  Have we let that blow through our lives without meaning?  Did we miss that it is one of the most important aspects of living a flourishing life?  It is not just banal blather.  Are we addicted to feeling poorly about ourself?  Have we bought into the aggressive sales pitches and blitzes that say we are too old, too fat, too everything short of being perfect that sells products?  Have we accepted that our flaws, or perceived flaws, are what makes us unique?  Have we come to understand that our Critical Inner Voice (Evil Inner Witch) is an agglomeration of everything negative we felt everyone ever said about us and who is only there to talk us into giving up on flourishing?   

Are we Determined?  Do we refuse negativity and reach towards optimism? Do we refuse negative thoughts and seek positive thoughts?  Do we curb our negative emotions?  Are we resilient?  Do we fail, get up, dust ourselves off and try to do better next time?  Do we forgive ourself and learn from our mistakes or do we sit in a puddle of muddle and almost worship our inability to be as perfect as we think everyone else must be?  Are we critical and judgemental of others and do our best to bring others down to our level, to our miserable level, so we have a group to feel miserable with?  Are we resilient or are we satisfied with mediocracy? 

Do we seek positive relationships?  Do we engage with others so we can enhance each others lives?  Do we seek personal growth or are we satisfied with that place we sit in because we fear risk, we fear failure, we fear, well, everything?  Are we engaging with all of life?  Do we seek personal growth? 

Does our life have meaning?  Are we accomplishing things?  Do we have a purpose?  Do we know what our purpose might be?  Are we in the act of mastering things?  Is there things in our life that give us vitality?

What excuses are we using for not?  Why are we refusing to work at expanding and enhancing areas in our life?  Why are we using past wounds and hurts to deny ourselves new friends, deep relationships, familial relationships?  We are totally in charge.  No one else is in charge of our feelings, our excuses, our reasons for not stepping up to the batter’s box and hitting a home run on who we are, who we are meant to be.  Yes, we are a product of our past experiences, but did we think it was okay to stay there?  No one, absolutely no one lives in the past.  We are in the present living our present in whatever existence we choose to live in.  We are not only hurting ourselves when we refuse to flourish.  We are influencing everyone in our whole life.  We are setting examples.  We are enabling others to either not flourish or empowering others to flourish.  We, settling for mediocracy, encourage others in our life to accept it as well. 

Let us commit to Flourish.  Let us find fun things to do.  Let us find meaningful things to do.  Let us seek fulfilment.  Let us enhance our lives so that there is more purpose and meaning.  Let us live more authentic lives.  Did I say it would be easy when we have built in habits and that life can be sometimes difficult?  No, it can be hard work.  But, if we actively determine to be , not just healthy, wealthy and wise, but to flourish, we can break our habits of accepting less than we deserve. Be tender and compassionate with yourself.  Flourish, sisterfriends!  Flourish!

©Carol Desjarlais 9.21.23

PS. 

It is Sagittarius, turquoise, kind of day!  The UN International Day of Peace!