Surviving and Thriving
This theme has surfaced many times lately, in many different settings. We suspect that this theme strikes a deeper and underlying note, which resonates through other topics. We all need to assess our circumstances and evaluate if we’re surviving or thriving before we can take any meaningful action towards a better future. Of course, some action is better than no action, but we think this can be a potent tool to assess your situation and figure out what the best future action is.
Recently, we had heart attack survivor, and now Life Coach Brian Simpson on our podcast. He and Scott spoke for an hour about their shared life-changing experience of having a near-death experience, and how this newfound perspective on life has changed how they live their lives and what they value. In their conversation, both of them stated that they suspected that stress or being in a survival mode led to their heart attack, and both of them talked about how they now try to live a fulfilled life in balance and harmony. But it shouldn’t take a near-death experience to get this insight, because most don’t survive it! So, the question is: Can we quiet the surrounding noise and listen to our inner voice before it’s too late? We think we can, and when we listen to the people who had this experience, we start to hear a common theme—a theme that is always there, but disappears in the loudness of daily life.
Other themes like addiction, sickness, depression, etc. all seem to resonate from this topic—surviving and thriving. We didn’t think about the human condition in this manner before, but our writing and talking journey has started to shape a different perspective, and has shifted the way we see the world. We think that surviving and thriving is a really helpful way of assessing your circumstances and initial plan of action—because one doesn’t work without the other.
We have often talked about an external checklist that we use to assess our wellbeing, and it goes something like this:
Do I have:
A job/something to do
A family (either biological, or a family of choice)
Close friends
A hobby
Addiction/Consumption e.g., alcohol under control
This is in no manner an exhaustive list by any means, but it provides a good foundation for your self-assessment. If you can check all of the above, there’s a good chance that you’re thriving and living a fulfilled life. But if you can’t check any of them, then maybe you’re in survival mode.
The current pandemic illustrates how important meaningful contact with other people is. We can’t meet with our friends as we normally do, and we can’t go to the gym, or do the other stuff that makes our lives a bit more enjoyable—and this has resulted in an increase in mental health issues like anxiety and depression. We’re collectively beating the virus, but many of us have now experienced first-hand what it feels like to be unemployed and isolated.
We have talked and written a lot about how to become a better version of yourself—the training methods and philosophies—but we feel like this subject is equally important—because you need to survive and thrive before you can experience a fulfilled life.
We will write more about this topic shortly, but the introductory idea is to assess your circumstances—are you thriving? And if not, what is holding you back? We have used our list to assess our circumstances—and getting back to work and being able to go to church, the gym, the bar, or wherever you like to talk and interact with like-minded people—does a lot for your mental wellbeing.
We wish you a bright and thriving future.
Until next time
Scott and Lennart