If you are truly thriving right now you are a rarity. The statistics tell us (straight from the US Government) that 75% of the adult population between the ages of 24 and 74 are not thriving at all, in fact they are in a place of barely surviving. Social Science uses the term “languishing” in order to describe the internal state they are in.

That stat may sound shocking, however it actually is quite true.

People are battling with a sense of weariness in many places in the culture, and have lost interest and passion in things that at one time really mattered to them.

There is a yearning for “something more” in many, many hearts and minds.

For some there is a sense of emptiness that they can’t shake yet are afraid to bring to speech because of what others might think of them.

For some, feeling unsettled and restless has become their “norm” in spite of all the distractions and amusements available in our consumer-driven culture.

Many are feeling that they lack the necessary structures for success and that their economic situation seems to confirm that to them.

There are those that have continued living on the outside, while on the inside they have sort of disconnected and detached .

Negative emotions abound!

Negative feelings are prevalent!

How does all of that get reconciled when in fact these are things even followers of Jesus are wrestling with?

Do you realize or are you aware of how many of those who love the Lord still feel like they are just surviving and not thriving?

How does Jesus, the Real One, the Ascended One SEE all of this in his people?

How does Jesus respond?

Are there structures of success that can be built or rebuilt in our psyche so that we can walk with and in:

• Successful mental function?
• Not merely the absence of mental un-health, rather also the presence of positive outlook, feelings, and genuine hope
• Fulfilling relationships?
• Productive activities?
• The capacity to adapt and bounce back when setbacks occur?

We all know the word Shalom from Scripture. 

What we may not realize is that it is the Hebrew word that actually describes metaphorically how we can thrive in life, or how the Bible would use the word “flourish” to describe what that kind of thriving looks like, thinks like, feels like, acts like, and lives like…

Shalom is first and foremost, the absence of all things harmful. Yet it is far more than that. it implies the presence of all things beneficial.

There is within the concept of Shalom, God’s concept by the way, the tension between absence and presence, and that tension is as important as the tension of the polar opposites that cause a light bulb to light up.  

It is a creative tension that allows the structures in place, or the structures that are being re-structured in your psyche to cause your life’s passion to move in the direction of total well-being in every area of your life experience.

What comes into play in this commitment to thriving?

First and foremost, what comes into play is the God who created you to be playful! 

The Creator who calls you to come to a place of being innovative with your future.

Secondly, by reliance on the Spirit of the Creator, there can be an evaluation made of the roles you are functioning in right now, the journey you are on, and what psychologists call your “narrative identity” (the story you are telling yourself not only about who you are, but also what you are up to).

If you have ever drive on the interstates of North America, and pulled into a rest stop. At the rest stop where the rest rooms are, there is usually a map of the State you are in, with all the pertinent highways and cities and towns, and there is usually a special color of the highway you are driving on…AND a BIG RED ARROW that points and locates your current position by simply stating, “YOU ARE HERE”.

Whether you like where the arrow is on the journey to where you are going, or whether you don’t, it is an important indication of your current reality. In fact, it is your current reality.

Thriving is impossible, Shalom is impossible, unless you know how to accurately locate your current reality. 

Once that is something you have done successfully, mapping and navigating where you intend to go becomes much clearer and your vision of the future becomes much more long range.

I invite you to join me for a Master Class on Wednesday Evening, February 13th at 7:00PM for a 2 1/2 hour interactive deep dive into the spirituality and psychology of thriving. It will be an invaluable resource for you as you endeavor to chart your course for this next season.

You will be provided tools, and discover resources you may have discounted that can serve you well to re-structure your paradigms, mental models, and schemas ( a schema  describes a pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information and the relationships among them in your mind).

This Master Class just might be the game-changer you are looking for. Enroll today, and invest in your future. Again, this is a deep dive and will be “content-rich”. You won’t be disappointed. Your investment will come back to you in more ways than you realize. It will be well worth it!