Defining a THRIVING life…

Two words I hear continually these days are “trauma” and “thriving.” We seem to want one and really want to avoid the other. If you are aware of or working your way through personal trauma, you are more than likely interested in arriving at a place of “thriving.” Because we know there is a better way. 

However, if you have attained any level of “thriving” you are most likely working pretty hard to avoid any additional trauma. We seem to intuitively want to embrace one over the other. Yet, all of our lives will inevitably include both. 

Our trauma is often what moves us into places of thriving. And life, being what it is, won't allow us to reside where we can thrive permanently. So, we need to learn how to navigate experiences of both because we do not get one without the other.

We intuitively know what trauma is. We know trauma can take a thousand different forms and come into our lives at any moment. But what exactly do we mean when we say “thriving"? I think we all want to thrive, but how do we know when it is occurring? What will it look like in our lives?

I recently discovered a model used by the Thrive Center from Fuller Theological Seminary that I find remarkably helpful. Thriving is…

Transcendence and Spirituality- awareness and connection to a source of invigorating love that inspires purpose.

Habits and Ryhthms: healthy spiritual practices and regular ryhthms that allow us to slow down to gain insight, connect to love, and energize into purposeful endeavors.

Relationships and Community:  connections that can provide a space of belonging where we can be fully known to ourselves and others and learn to give and receive love.

Identity and Narrative: Growing in clarity about who we are as a beloved, unique embodied person.

Vocation and Purpose: Contributing our strengths to the world by living out our response to love.

Ethics and Virtues: our beliefs about love and how we live out love through values, views of right and wrong and priorities.

What would it look like for each of us to take the next step in each of these categories? How might our lives change is we took 2,4, 8 steps in each? Might we move out of trauma into periods of flourishing and wholeness?

If you would like help in moving further into a life of thriving, be in touch. In future writings, I will dive deeper into each aspect of thriving.

Dig Deep, Keep Going.