Excerpts from the Book

“Thriving is our birthright as human beings. Many of us have just forgotten how to do it because we’ve gotten lost on the road of comparison. We’ve grown so accustomed to focusing on what the traveler walking next to us has that we want, that we’ve lost who we are in the process”

“Thrivers have developed the capacity to look at life through a lens of an ever-broadening mindset and envision possibilities where others see limitations. They focus on why things can happen, rather than one why they can’t…They look at the past without regrets but with an appreciation of lessons learned. They look forward to the future with optimism, but they stay fully engaged with the learning each moment brings.”

“When we label ourselves and allow our past experiences to define the life we live now, we abdicate our power and limit ourselves for becoming all we were meant to become. It’s not the challenging experiences we accrue in our lives but rather how we use them as opportunities to transform ourselves that are the hallmark of people who thrive.”

“We may possess the most compelling vision in the world, but if we aren’t willing to embrace the challenges we encounter while trying to bring that vision into reality, we will never fulfill our potential. We have the ability to make our mark in the world, or we wouldn’t have been given the aspiration. It’s our response to our abilities that separates thrivers from those who limit themselves.”

“Trusting life requires having faith that there’s a purpose for our lives, even when we haven’t a clue what that may be. This kind of faith allows us to rely on the reality of things unseen, of futures unknown, of people unmet, of accepting some doors must close so that others may open. Ultimately, this kind of faith means being willing to let go of the need to be in control. Holding this kind of faith takes courage and vulnerability.”

“As we being to focus our energy on conforming to others’ expectations, often without being aware of what we’re doing, we stop listening to ourselves. We may even start sacrificing what’s most important to us—our values, the kind of work we do, where we want to live, the people we choose to spend our time with—in order to fit in, succeed and feel accepted.”

“To thrive, we have to take the risk to participate actively to change the things within our control. We learn to act as causal agents in our lives, rather than as passive actors who allow ourselves to be affected by the negative things that may be happening around us.”

“Freedom requires that we take the responsibility to pay forward what we’ve learned, and to be of help to those who come after us. True freedom comes from our willingness to share our gifts with others.”

“In order to transform our world, we must first change ourselves. To create a world where all may thrive, we must learn to thrive ourselves. Thriving requires living above the waterline and modeling that for others. It asks us to write the next chapter of our life stories in fresh, creative and powerful ways, in ways that motivate those who come after us to want to follow our example. And finally, accepting the call to thrive invite us to share our gifts with those whose lives we touch, so they’ll be inspired to do the same.”

“We each have a list of wounds we carry. Some of our lists are longer and some shorter, but regardless of their size and scope, they are not destined to become the roof under which we live unless we let them. We are given the choice to do the work it takes to bind our wounds and insecurities in compassion and trust and emerge on the other side.”

“Embarking on this journey to thriving requires that we ask a different set of questions and shift our focus on personal gain to a focus on contribution. We learn to ask questions that generate greater possibilities for our lives, instead of those that limit or constrain us from offering our greatest gifts. Rather than focusing on what we want to get from the world, we being to reflect on what we might give.”

“Trusting our authentic calling is critical, but we have to take the time and be still enough to hear what it is. We must also be humble enough to discern that call through the purity of a well-examined heart, rather than through self-serving needs driven by greed, pride, or a quest for power.”

“As we remove the blinders that keep us from seeing the magnificence of who we are and of who we are called to be, our highest potential can be expressed and our greatest self, revealed.  Every day we have an opportunity to say yes to that call, to living a life of purpose…even though the fog may block our view.”