We have many reference points for success which include our personal and professional definition. It usually includes lightbulb moments and times of change when we begin to evaluate where we are now and where we’d like to be in the future.
I recently heard a comment that started a whole new conversation with my personal tribe:
The journey of life is not to just to survive but thrive.
We began to debate and share our thoughts on how the concept of thriving is connected to both our lifestyle choices and definition of success.
We started by reviewing each word and decided that it not only means different things to different people but provides an opportunity to share our collective wisdom. Personal interpretation is based on our experience and creates our own definition.
The word “thrive” in itself leads to individual empowerment. Our lifestyle choices start a journey that combines the elusive balance between living a life and the work to fuel our passion.
We cannot have one without the other….
Each definition was very different and heartfelt but there was a common theme…we all wanted to create meaningful connections with other like-minded individuals while contributing to our communities.
The definition of thrive took on a new meaning and the word “connecting” became the identifier.
We are interested in connecting with people who share our passions, interests and philosophies. Each and every one of us began to share the connections with our communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and mentorship.
The clubs that we join and the organizations we support all define how we thrive. The connections create a positive sense of self that increases our confidence. Contributions to our communities build relationships that provide balance in our everyday life that ultimately supports our purpose.
It was truly amazing to hear about all of the different organizations and why each of us support them. Charitable donations was not our only resource. Time, energy and expertise were other ways that we connected with each membership.
I’d like to share a few compelling comments from our group:
1) “Surviving is just getting by; thriving is participating and contributing.”
2) “I’ve made some great friendships by connecting in my community – that’s why I’ve lived here for so many years.”
3) “My business introduced “me” to my community.”
The whole idea of thriving instead of just surviving is a compelling reason to increase our visibility, encourage collaboration and create connections within our community.
It fuels our passion to succeed and creates a new definition of success.
What is your personal formula?
I’m interested to hear how you thrive in your community?
Written by Trish Tonaj .
Trish is a Certified Master Coach, Author, Mentor and Speaker offering keynotes and workshops on how to amplify your success. She is the founder and blog host for shareyourstories.online.
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