A recent discussion with a friend about believing in oneself got me pondering.  

Something there made me realize how much better I like the word flourish versus the word thrive.  

Thrive feels definitive to me. Like “you’re meant to thrive, so buck up and do it. Get it done.”  Maybe it’s the consonant “v” in there that throws the breaks on for me: it halts, cuts off.  Puts guard rails up and gives you the straight road forward.  Its duty.  Diligence.  A bit greedy, dare I say.  Thrive.  Done.  Accomplished. 

Whereas flourish continues.  It’s open and creative and ripe with possibility…wings…strokes…unique offerings.  Responding versus reacting.  Fulfilling desire versus fulfilling expectation.  It connects.  There’s a responsibility there, like, the way the world labors tirelessly to flourish for us, so its our responsibility to make sure it continues to flourish.  It’s feeling nurtured by nature and turning around to nurture it in return.  The acknowledgment and the reciprocity.  The balance.  The generosity.  Flourish carries on - the “sh” floats into a whisper with as much power behind it as need be to continue. Open-ended yet wrapped in doing.  While being astonished in the doing. 

Thrive is like a stab; a contraction.  Flourish is like a release; a surrender.

I could obviously go on. 🤓

So…what if, yes, you thrive - you get things done with panache and great aplomb and it 👏 is 👏inspired 👏.  

And then, what if you took a moment to acknowledge, believe in, and be astonished by that inspired thing you did?  

You just might flourish.