From Striving to Thriving
I’ve spent most of my life in either survival or striving mode.
In my younger days surviving meant taking big risks and sometimes still I’d barely get by. I was eager to escape my circumstance and had a constant urge to overcompensate, to work inordinately hard because I felt like I was always behind and needed to catch up.
Survival turned into a deeper hunger, a striving to prove myself. I strived for success, financial security, and a sense of balance. And now, with most of those things in place, I find myself rarely pausing long enough to reflect and be more present in the moment. Striving is not always bad, it’s an important driver for growth. But when it edges into anxiety or self-doubt, it takes a toll on confidence, presence, and mental health.
In coaching, we often say the coach is always becoming. There’s no fixed point where one “arrives” as a coach, only a continual unfolding across time and space. That philosophy resonates because it reminds me that each season has something to teach us: survival teaches resilience, striving fuels growth, and thriving invites integration.
My recent striving, I’ve realized, was fueled by fear and outdated narratives. I’m learning that thriving isn’t about doing less; it’s about moving through seasons with awareness knowing when to push, when to rest, and when to simply be.
The challenge isn’t to stop striving, but to let it be guided by purpose rather than pressure. It’s about creating harmony between ambition and life beyond work. Designing a life I don’t need to escape from.
