How to Thrive and Not Just Survive

Learning to thrive is both a process and a practice.  It's almost like a fine art, touched with a bit of genius and a hint of magic.

There’s a profound difference between moving through the world from a grounded, intentional place connected to a source of love and showing up because you're wounded, stuck in fear, or trying to prove something.  One approach feels expansive, energizing, and aligned and the other is rooted in old pain that was never given the love it deserved.  We’re choosing to operate from love now and not from anger, fear, or survival.

Thriving after years of healing, whether from personal trauma or generational patterns, isn’t just possible, it’s powerful. It’s the moment you step out of survival mode and into a life you can design, build, create, and fully experience. But stepping into this new space often comes with a transition period.

The old version of you may try to pull you back to familiar habits, while the new you is ready to step forward and shape the life you truly want. Give yourself grace as you navigate this shift. Keep what’s supportive and meaningful from your past, bring it with you, and release whatever no longer aligns.

With that in mind, here are some simple yet impactful tips on how to truly thrive.

1. Redefine Your Identity

Healing often revolves around what happened to you and one can spend a lot of time talking about it, processing it and making peace with it.  As you heal and start thriving you ask:   

•  Who am I now that I’m not defined by pain, my story, or what happened to me?
•  What do I want to build for myself and for my family?

Your identity does not revolve around what happened to you or who you were.  Your identity does not revolve around "being a single mom", "I was fired", "my family grew up poor", a "widow" the "cycle breaker" or the "caretaker".  You are so much bigger than that. You have to let your past and your story go and create a new one for yourself.

2. Prioritize Joy and Pleasure

Trauma can make joy and happiness feel unfamiliar or unsafe. But joy is not a luxury.  It’s fuel for thriving and the more fun and joy you have the easier it will be to create what you want.  Start small with finding hobbies you like to do.  Hobbies, nature, music, beauty, fitness, art, or anything you enjoy.  Let yourself enjoy things without guilt or the feeling like you should always be doing more or being productive.

3. Create a Life You Don’t Need to Escape From

Create structure and habits that support your well-being.  Create nourishing sleep routines so that you can ensure you're getting the proper amount of sleep and make time for moving your body, and eating healthy food.  Set your boundaries and honour your own peace.  Ensure that you are surrounded by people who make you feel safe, heard, loved, and seen and distance yourself from toxic or negative people.  We no longer settle for scraps.  Think about what your perfect day and life would feel like and be intentional about creating that.

4. Invest in Growth, Not Just Recovery

Healing is maintenance.  Thriving is expansion and growth so this is all about learning something new and setting goals that excite you.  Take risks that are alined with your values and recognize when fear is present.  You can see fear for what it is and still move forward with courage as you're growing into the person you become.

5. Connect with Legacy, Not Just Your Lineage

Yes, trauma may be passed down, but so is love, resilience, creativity, and strength.  Reclaim what’s worth keeping from your ancestry, but let go of what's not worth keeping.  You also don't need to feel bad and keep your dead grandmothers cross stitch or old antique rocking chair or store all of her belongings in your basement if it's old and ugly as hell and you don't really love it.  You can throw it away or donate it.  She won't care.  She just wants you to be happy and her spirit is not in those things anyways.  She's in your heart.  Define and get crystal clear what you want to pass on to the next generation and make your own traditions.  Just because it was done in the past, doesn't mean it has to stick around in the future.

6. Practice Receiving

If you’ve always been the one to fix or give, learn to receive.  Receiving support, love, and abundance is a spiritual thing.  Say yes to help, or ask for help when you need it.  Let people celebrate you and love you.  Accept ease or a friendly kind gesture without suspicion.  Now that you are healed and whole chances are the people you attract into your life will be of a higher quality, so trust that there are good people out there, and if by chance something does go astray know that it was probably a life lesson you still needed to learn about yourself or about your own energy levels.

7. Create, Don’t Just Cope

When thriving, you go from reacting to intentionally creating your life.  A vision, a lifestyle, a life.  You're no longer just going along for the ride but you in the drivers seat.  Ask yourself:  What can I create for myself now that I am no longer surviving?  Then know you have the power to create and manifest what you truly want and desire.  

8. Surround Yourself with People Who Reflect the Future, Not the Past

Healing might have meant going inward or being alone.  This might have been a lonely place to be for a while, but it also means it was necessary for your growth.  Thriving means finding or building community with those who see you fully, are like-minded and truly get you, as well as encourage expansion and fun and not just safety.  Don't go back to someone just because you're lonely.  Really ask yourself if this person deserves to be in your life and only surround yourself with the best.

Always remember this:  You don't need to earn your way into thriving and living your life happy, healthy, and free.  You've already done the hardest part.  You stayed, you did the work and you healed.  Now, thriving is your birthright.  Now it's about reclaiming the parts of your life that were always meant to be yours.  Joy, purpose, freedom, health, happiness, abundance and love.

Are You Ready to Make this Year The Best One Yet?  

In order to create and manifest anything you want, you must learn how to be what it is you are seeking and become a vibrational match for the life and luxuries you desire.  That’s why maintaining high energy levels and feeling good is essential.

Join Rise and Shine today and get on the path to making today and every day a phenomenal one.  Go to www.lindsayrose.ca/riseandshinechallenge to unlock instant access now.

Additional Reads:

Wake Up and Live - 101 Days of Deep Inner Work to Transform Your Life

Rise and Shine - 101 Days to a Happier You

Taking Your Personal Power Back - 101 Days of Relentless Action Forward

High Level Leadership - Levelling Up to Meet Your Highest Self