Are You Surviving or Thriving?

The sun was shining. The sky was crystal clear. The leaves danced effortlessly to the tune of a warm breeze. Flowers stood tall and proud, smiling, for they had been gifted a gorgeous August day.

As I strolled through my neighborhood alongside my younger sister, I thought to myself... what I would give to be a tree.

With such a simple, long life, they get to sit back and take in the world - no judgement, no politics, just pure serenity. How peaceful? As my mind journeyed into such harmony, my sister interrupted (as per usual) with one of her thought-provoking questions.

“In every moment of life, we’re either surviving or thriving. One or the other. Without fail. Do you agree?”

Typically Andrea's life questions or statements are highly debatable and I usually react accordingly. But this one, spot on. I remained silent, captivated by such a straightforward truth.

She continued, “Think about it, I just moved across the country and had to find and settle into a new apartment, new job and new life within a matter of weeks. Everything that could go wrong did, including getting a stomach bug at the office and crashing my brand new car into the side of my apartment building. I’m sure you’d think I’d tell you I was surviving and not thriving, right?”

I nodded. Still no comment. I thought of my friends. Some struggling, others on top of the world. But in due time that will flip. And flip again. I know that. So, what’s my answer? I’ve obviously felt both sides of the coin at different points. Where am I now?

My sister proceeded, “The pressure and expectations around me are high, but I currently have the opportunity of a lifetime to accept challenges with open arms and to create my own path to greatness. If I'm sure of anything, that’s thriving.”

I looked up at a statuesque Coral and realized, trees are no exception. They, too, either survive or thrive.

But unlike trees, we get to define our status. We get to embrace a beautiful day. We get to ask ourselves how we feel… and at any moment of our lives, we can choose to thrive.

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Are you surviving or thriving? Let it out in the comments.

Shara Senderoff is the Co-Founder & CEO of Career Sushi. She was named one of Forbes’ “30 under 30" in Tech, Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” and Fortune’s “7 Gen-Y Employment Champions.” Just like you, she's always trying to thrive.

Photo: Galyna Andrushko