As 2017 ends: Thriving or surviving? Or a bit of both!!! Please be assured of my prayerful support as I honour all you do. I also invite you to do a few minutes of reflection and, in this light, I respectfully offer some practical tips on thriving not just surviving. Why not pick just one or two to think and act on.
Why do this? Well, we all experience times when we are at the top of our game (even thriving) and perhaps don’t stop to think on it, let alone be thankful or track what worked well to get us there. At other times, we seem to be just surviving perhaps due to heavier work volumes, rushed deadlines, marked change or unexpected occurrences etc.
In all these contexts, we can make (or not make) choices that support us to be as equipped, prepared and ‘fit’ (in body, mind and spirit) as we can be. When life is shifting rapidly (e.g. a relocation, job change, new tasks etc.) and life seems more like the fast running tide going 80 knots per hour rather than a serene, peaceful lake, what do we do?
| 11 Tips | Comment |
| Be active | Daily, often, a must do!!… an active life can support our spirituality too |
| Pray | How often do we stop to reflect, meditate and pray? |
| Teams matter | We can do more together than by ourselves. How often do we acknowledge our teams? |
| Take care of your body | Change can equal stress. After all the work volumes, deadlines and change, do you give yourself permission to rest, eat well and relax? |
| Be adventuresome | How often do you see change as an adventure noting that all real adventure entails some challenge, difficulty and discomfort- that’s ok |
| Do one enjoyable thing each day | No time? What about 15 minutes out of 1440 minutes in a 24 hr period. It’s only one (1%) percent of your day!!! |
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Live one day at a time |
“…do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself…” (Matt 6:24) How well do you live with ambiguity? Do you have a role model or mentor who can help? If not, ask someone if they will be a guide (most people like to be asked) |
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Inform yourself |
What works for you in times of busy-ness? change? What doesn’t work? If one did a ‘gap analysis’:
(a) who has the information you need today? (b) what new ideas, skills or choices do I need in my toolkit to support me, my team etc? |
| Ask for support | In times of change, stress or ambiguity – who do you need to keep informed; who is most helpful? Do you find it hard to ask for help? |
| Take time for solitude | Seemingly not everyone’s cup of tea but time alone can allow us time to settle our thoughts and emotions |
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Celebrate or ritualise change |
How often do you stop to celebrate a step taken? An outcome achieved? Have you ever stopped to ritualise a change or ending? It could be as simple as closing the door with a prayer of thankfulness! |
Gustin, M. (1997). Welcoming change: 10 Tips for thriving not just surviving. Ligouri MO: Ligouri Press (adapted).
I wish you every Christmas joy, peace and prayerful support for now and for 2018 and beyond as you step into whatever tomorrow holds.
Blessings
Padre Peter
