Owning Our Power
There is a shift taking place with more people moving from a state of surviving and suffering to thriving. Poet Maya Angelou inspired us, “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.”
Six months after quitting their jobs, most people who chose to resign recently say they are better off emotionally and mentally, if not financially. Some wish they could have had unemployment insurance or a softer landing strip but there is no regret quitting jobs and workplaces that brought suffering into their life.
And of course, there will always be those who do have regrets for making a leap and people who feel stuck without any options apart from surviving.
From Suffering to Thriving
Many who quit their jobs in the last year were suffering through an awful manager, old world practices like being forced to work from the office, no advancement, crushing workloads, and soulless work for companies that didn’t appreciate them. Some lost pensions and benefits when they left and now face increasing inflation but gaining personal fulfillment was worth it.
Flexible hours, remote work and higher quality of life are all new ways of living that many people are preferring. Their pay may have gone down but feeling more fulfilled is on the rise for those who had the courage to step outside their comfort zones. Life now includes spending time with family and friends, exercising and walking outdoors.
There are also people who are pursuing gigs instead of full time employment and it takes time to navigate this way of living. But they no longer wait for the weekend to breathe.
When we consciously shift from suffering to thriving, we become aware that there is no price on our health, which includes physical and mental health. More and more people are understanding that quality of life increases when stress, burnout and anxiety are reduced. And there is no reason to suffer through life.
There is No Greater Wealth than Peace of Mind
Thriving means that our prosperity is rooted within what is truly feeding us and it’s different for each of us. But it means that we get to a state where we are authentically aligned with who we are. And it takes a lot of effort and choices to get here.
More people are no longer choosing to follow the trends and hype of what society deems success. And companies demanding that their employees return to the office will face a new reality of losing those who are questioning these practices.
It’s actually quite simple when we ask ourselves what we need and where we want to spend our life. We want to feel appreciated, respected and to bring who we truly are everywhere we go. To continue to grow, we need care and opportunities to learn and develop.
One of my favorite authors, Douglas Adams observed, “The world is a thing of utter inordinate complexity and richness and strangeness that is absolutely awesome. I mean the idea that such complexity can arise not only out of such simplicity, but probably absolutely out of nothing, is the most fabulous extraordinary idea.
And once you get some kind of inkling of how that might have happened, it’s just wonderful. And the opportunity to spend 70 or 80 years of your life in such a universe is time well spent as far as I am concerned.”
Breaking Free Means Shifting from Suffering to Thriving
We didn’t come to this beautiful planet to suffer through life. We are here to thrive like a seed we plant in the ground, water, nourish and bloom. Imagine what’s possible when we create systems that lift each other up and each bloom at our own pace.
Now is the time to change a belief by acknowledging that it is neither right nor wrong, only whether it is healthy or toxic for you. And if it’s not serving you, then is it time to let it go?
Today we are experiencing endings and beginnings. Do you need to free yourself from a stagnant situation that has been holding you back? Where can you make a difference? What are you wanting to start