What can get in the way of our thriving?

This post is the second in a series explaining how to thrive.  For the first post with the definition and signs of thriving, click here.  No matter who we are, or what our circumstances, we are all capable of growing and changing, becoming more relational people, with others, with God, and with ourselves.  Our spirituality is a valuable resource for strength.

Yet, we all have our unique challenges–whether they are personal or situational, but we do share some commonalities of what can inhibit our ability to thrive. While by no means an exhaustive list, these are some things that can get in the way of positive growth.

• Trauma: Trauma can change our brain, which may distort our understanding of safety and ways of thinking, creating emotional and mental barriers to a thriving life. For example, someone who has had traumatic experiences involving people may be wary of others and struggle to develop meaningful relationships.

• Perfectionism: Perfectionism and other cognitive distortions can actually decrease our ability to be resilient and access joy by attaching negative consequences to anything less than our idealized standards. Being connected to a bigger purpose for our lives can release us from the burden of perfectionism. When our actions are attached to meaning, we maintain motivation to persevere amidst the imperfections and difficulties of this life.

• Culture of individualism and isolation: With our increasingly digital world, it is all too easy to become isolated from valuable relationships and daily interactions with others. Because relationships are essential to understanding who we are, isolation is detrimental to individuals as well as to a thriving society.

• Pace of life: The pursuit of our best lives can find us in a state of constant movement with little down time to rest or reflect on whether our actions are actually leading us towards what matters most to us for a thriving life. Adding margin for stillness and mindfulness gives us space to align our values and our actions.

• Lack of fit within environment: Sometimes we can find ourselves in job environments, relationships, or communities that do not fully support our needs. During these times, we can explore ways to improve our fit within our current environment, or consider our options for how we can transition to an environment that is better suited for us.

• Neurodiversity: The diversity of the human brain is astounding. Too often, the world caters to certain types of brains that were deemed normal, which can lead people who fall outside these generalities to feel marginalized. Existing social structures do not offer the necessary opportunities to nurture diverse minds and end up increasing barriers to resources for positive growth and thriving.

A thriving world needs spiritually healthy humans who can ultimately lean into love and live out love. We invite you to join us on this journey to pursue thriving—with and for others. If you want to take a deeper dive into thriving, consider taking our course.

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