I Am Done. How About You?

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” ~Maya Angelou

By now most schools are back in session and autumn is starting to whisper, “I’m on my way…” So as the smell of sunscreen is being overtaken by the scent of pumpkin spice, so too are our carefree feelings being overtaken by a sense of overwhelming tension.

This year being an election year there is a special weight coming with the changing of the seasons. I don’t think I need to tell you that the weight of all the “heaviness” our world and nation has faced over the last nearly 10 years, it can be a lot for many people to manage on their own.  

Combine all these emotions with the usual feelings that most people face as the last quarter of the year comes tumbling in and it’s no surprise that so many people are feeling a crushing sense of exhaustion, hopelessness, and negativity. I mean, aren’t we supposed to be starting new and fresh with this coming change? Aren’t we supposed to be getting excited about the changing of the leaves and the joy of the impending holidays? Aren’t we supposed to be revving up to finish the year strong? YES! We are and YES, you can!

Here’s the deal… I literally just had to have a talk with myself because I was feeling much the same as many of you may be feeling. The weight of the world’s troubles, both near and far, were making it hard for me to breathe and I was also looking at my fall calendar wondering where the time had gone this year. As I sat pondering, I was becoming more anxious and frustrated. Then I decided, that is enough. I am done. No more letting the troubles of our world or other people’s behaviors dictate my happiness. No more guilt or beating myself up for not getting everything done that I wanted to do this summer (or even this year so far). No more judgement of myself or others. And no more letting negative emotions steal my energy or focus. No more doubt, no more delay and no more division. I am done.

But what I’m not done with is this… I am not done taking action and striving for my goals. I am not done expressing kindness and compassion to others. I am not done bringing the joy or being grateful for all the blessings in my life. I am not done leading and empowering others to be their best and I am not done having hope for a better future.

We can all thrive, even in times of fear and change. We can all be better, and we can all do better. So, if you are done with the pity party. Done with the negativity. And done feeling stuck, overwhelmed, hopeless and frustrated… Then let’s begin to thrive once again.

Join the Five to Thrive Challenge – Five Concepts in Five Days to Get You Back on Track and Ready to Not just Survive but to Thrive.