Motivational Monday Moment – Thrive

I shared with you last week that 2019 had me surviving but in 2020 my goal was to thrive. I want to thrive in all ways: mentally, physically, spiritually and financially. I wrote down the general headers added specifics and I review them each day when I wake up.

So, what do I really mean when I say that I want to thrive? I started thinking about how I can thrive and not just survive this year and wanted to share this message with you on this first Monday in 2020. This is my Monday Motivational Moment and I wanted to tell you how I think we should thrive.

Now, let’s start with the definition of thrive. Thrive is a verb that means to prosper (succeed) or to flourish (develop rapidly and successfully). Basically, it means that when we say that we will thrive we are basically saying that we are going to rapidly be successfully. Sounds great right?

However, we know that nothing happens overnight. There is no magic pill or potion that can make us successful. There is hard work and dedication. There are mistakes and redirects. Trials and errors. Did you not have that last year? I did. Lots of them.

I learned so much about who I am and what I want or what I don’t want that I could write a book. But, last year tried to break me. It didn’t. I fell so short that I thought that God had forgotten me in an all that I went through.

Let me give you a highlight of some of the things I survived:

• 2 court appearances with my ex-husband, 2 without me and with just my lawyer and the judge (financially expensive)
• A car accident which totaled out my car (3 months from being paid off – ugh financially expensive)
• Anxiety gripping me (emotionally expensive)
• A sick father and time off from work in between court and my busy season (emotionally and financially expensive with travel)
• Dating drama (emotionally expensive)
• Infrequent gym experiences (physically expensive)
• Stress (emotionally and physically expensive)
• Infrequent church and God experiences (spiritually expensive)
• Friendships ended and revelations about sisterhood (emotionally expensive)

That sounds rough, right? There were many more instances, but I survived. I admittedly grew further away from Christ to try to shelter myself from all the drama and toxicity that surrounded me. I didn’t draw closer to Him. I knew better. But, admittedly I’m a flawed Christian. I’m thankful though for my friendships.

When I was falling short and falling away from Christ, He sent me some praying friends. When I felt like folks that I admired and trusted were spawned in the depths of hell all of a sudden, my friends prayed. When I became obsessed with the fact that I kept going back to court over my son I had a village that screamed “The devil is a liar and this too will pass.”

A praying closet.

That’s what one friend/sorority sister that I have never met suggested. Let’s go in the closet and pray and draw closer to God. “He hears.” “He loves you.” “You are not forgotten!” “We won’t let the enemy win.”

She prayed. I prayed. A lot of people prayed and I survived the storms.

The instances where I was surviving didn’t allow for thriving. I was just trying to show up and stay present. To be there for Munch and my job and my employees and my community. I had to keep pushing. I had to keep moving.

With that movement there came new things. There were new bills: lawyer bills, a new car note (cheaper than the last but now I’m starting over) and there were new people that came in encouraged my soul. They helped me to not stay in a place of pain and move to a place of peace. They kept me mentally afloat.

I say all this to say that I’m just like you. I’m flawed. I’m withdrawn. I’m moody. I’m surviving most of the time. But, I’m transitioning to a place of thriving. I plan to learn from those mistakes and lessons and rapidly succeed this year. To turn those negatives into positives.

I have no choice.

I’m getting older. I’m not going to let the devil catch me slipping and have a heart attack. I have to better for my health and my son. It starts with me. I take all ownership and accountability for my actions. I am moving to a place of freedom and honestly – it feels amazing. Because my mind is the first thing I need to fix. Emotionally thrive.

I’m going to let you know how this journey is going. What steps I’ve taken. I’m going to chart my ups and downs but I promise you that the first step that I’ve taken and I hope that you will take – is knowing that it is possible. We will thrive in 2020.

Happy Monday loves!

Want to keep in touch? You can find me on social media at the following links: Twitter @mskeeinmd, Facebook page A Thomas Point of View and my Instagram page @mskeeinmd.