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The Goal is to Thrive Not Just Survive

Ivy McGregor

Nov 15, 2021
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The pandemic changed many realities for many individuals and created a lot of uncertainty for what the future would look like. As a society, we had never been faced with so much uncertainty. For many, that led to anxiety and fear. As family members, entrepreneurs, creatives, college students and all members of society, the last few years were filled with unpredictability. Businesses were closing every day and Black-owned businesses were hugely disproportionately affected by the pandemic. There was and still is a sense of fear globally when we think of the effect on the economy. No one is sure what post pandemic recovery looks like for us as a society and individuals.

For those who lead in any capacity, we felt the weight of people looking for guidance. And still we were grappling with much of the same uncertainty as everyone else. It is easy to become paralyzed by fear or uncertainty, but I understood that the only way to see greater, was to disconnect from the past. Which required us to focus on centering ourselves before supporting others on their journey. We had to focus on the present and the possibilities of the future.

Helping others is my life's work and it gives me great joy to do what I do. Even so, managing the deep emotions I have connected to it, is essential. So every opportunity, I push myself to learn and grow to create a space of optimal peace, compassion, creativity and understanding, so that I honor each and every life opportunity with my very best. I recently had the pleasure of participating in the Stand Tall Coaching Emotional training at UCLA, where we began each session with a Mindfulness practice. These moments would allow me to take a deep breath and realign to the purpose that brings me joy. It is so easy to get caught up in the anxiety of our world and create a future based on surviving not thriving.

Only when I am living in the present - a gift of time - can I truly help myself, which is the primary reason that Mindfulness is an integral part of my daily practice. I become centered with my thoughts which allows me to be aware of my body and relaxes my mind so that I can fully engage with my family, friends, on my job, those I mentor and even in leisure. Only when we live in the present can we truly value it and reflect on the gift of the past.

Mindfulness is a great way to ground yourself to your present reality. Some easy techniques to practice Mindfulness are to set aside time for yourself and cultivate activities that let you stay in the present moment. When I feel overwhelmed, I will take a mindful walk and pay special notice to the world around me. The sights and sounds of the ocean, the serenity of the mountains, or simply people walking by. I let the gratitude for that moment, for the journey that led me there take shape in my heart and I am centered once again. Sometimes I will create a journal of affirmations to myself to remember that I am worthy of all the blessings, health, love and abundance that I am bountifully receiving. If none of these methods work for you or you feel like you need help, reach out to coaches, counselors, therapists, or meditation/mindfulness clinics or retreats. You do not have to do it alone.

In my article last week, I touched a bit on looking at the past as a place of healing, and I wanted to touch on the importance of that. As we practice Mindfulness, we are often confronted with our history and our "mistakes." If you are carrying the traumas and hurts from your past, you are living there 24/7. This is not beneficial to your overall mental health. Yes, it is important to revisit our past, but it is not healthy to somber in it. When you live in the feelings of regret and pain, not allowing yourself to heal and move forward, your mind retells your negative stories, keeping you in the past and letting these wounds fester. When you forgive your past, including the people, the places, and the situations you entered that did not serve or align with your higher self; you give yourself the space and permission to embrace your future - arms wide open.

Practice self-kindness and forgiveness by acknowledging who you were in the past, and giving yourself grace, because you did the best you could with the information you had at the time. Recognize that your past decisions don't have to be your future ones. Permit yourself to release the guilt, resentment, and anger that you feel towards your past. These emotions do not serve you and instead take away from the beauty of who you are becoming. Self-love and confidence begin with self-acceptance and forgiveness.

When we love and forgive ourselves, we are willing to take more chances, try different things, and believe in our purpose to be great. If I still saw myself as a person who was "laid off from a job," how could I be here in my present, that is filled with realities that I thought only existed only in my dreams. Here I am leading the conversations weekly around embracing your greatness. I had to see it in myself, no matter what, otherwise, I would always be stuck in a limited and unfulfilled version of me.

Be mindful of every moment, as the famous song from "Rent" says, we have five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes in a year - every one of those moments is an opportunity for a new beginning, for a restart, and a chance to forgive. And this my friend is the pathway and gear-shift from surviving to THRIVING, because YOU are destined for GREATER. COMMENT below and share how this article inspires you to move from surviving to THRIVING.

SUBSCRIBE NOW at greaterthan.bulletin.com/Subscribe to receive weekly inspiration via email, every Monday morning. JOIN ME LIVE every Monday @ 7:00pm CST at Ivy McGregor for Monday Mentoring Moments #MMM . . . it's a whole movement!FOLLOW Ivy McGregor on Facebook, @4iamIvy on Instagram and @IvyMcGregor on Twitter

Thank you for reading as we journey together to become GREATER THAN we ever imagined!

www.IvyMcGregor.com

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50 Comments

  • Rachel Lindsay Abasolo
    Writes Honestly, Rach
    Thank you so much for this Ivy! I am working every day to practice mindfulness- whether it be for a quick 5 minute meditation or a walk around the block, we all need to unplug and take a look at the world around us!
    • 27w
  • Top fan
    Lauren Spearman
    Your articles are God winks and serve as confirmation for me every week! It’s starting to get scary how in tune you are🤣🙌🏽. I’ve been practicing breathing and mindfulness this past week especially to help with my anxiety. Its refreshing that the pandem…
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    • 27w
    • Edited
    • Author
      Ivy McGregor
      It's that whole last sentence, your strategy to THRIVE! Because its not just what we say, but it's in what we DO. And you are soooo right, the pandemic impacted everyone emotionally and mentally, so now we have an opportunity to champion the normalizat…
      See more
      • 27w
  • Redelia Fowler
    This was indeed another thought provoking article!! This speaks to me on so many levels, and actually moves me to action. As a leader in a growing church, it has been challenging in this season to keep the vision alive and thriving, all while being sen…
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    • 27w
    • Author
      Ivy McGregor
      So delighted that you find insight here. It's true, the vision remains alive as long as it's alive and well in the leader. So your vision thriving depends heavily upon your intention to step away, refuel and recharge in your prayer and consecration tim…
      See more
      • 27w
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  • Top fan
    Dalya Hartford
    Self love, self acceptance and forgiveness all adequately describe exactly what I’ve had to place at the forefront of my mind over this last year. Loss has been back to back and had I not taken every opportunity to dedicate time to meditation and other…
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    • 27w
    • Author
      Ivy McGregor
      It's the last line for me! It's the reason I share, for someone to find encouragement and and be empowered! You are on an amazing journey, so proud of how you are leaning IN and finding greater and allowing all that you uncover and discover to be your…
      See more
      • 27w
  • Crystal Stanley
    Thank you Ivy! I love that you are speaking about mindfulness.. which is a huge part of what I've been very intentional about practicing lately. Yoga and meditation have been great tools for me on my journey of healing over the past several years. I'm …
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    • 27w
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      Ivy McGregor
      Thank you so much for sharing! Please continue to thrive! You are necessary. The world needs your gift. So keep BEING.
      • 27w
  • Kristy Herring
    All of this is very good. What resonated the most for me was being present in the moment. That is such as struggle for so many of us. I even notice my young nephews "worrying about where are we going next or what are we doing next" completely missing t…
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    • 27w
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      Ivy McGregor
      Kristy you are spot on - we as a people are sooooooo on to the next - that we totally forsake the NOW! Thank you for sharing! #Thrive Sis
      • 27w
  • Calondra Tibbs
    Thank you Ivy for sharing. Being more mindful in our present is a centering force when there is so much going on around us. That walk, time in the bath, or other activity where you can focus on the present is so rejuvenating to the soul and prepares yo…
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    • 27w
    • Author
      Ivy McGregor
      You are sooo exactly right - Mindfulness rejuvenates the soul indeed. Thank you for sharing! Keep thriving!
      • 27w
  • Eden McCutcheon Tirl
    Once again, just what I needed to read today. I just flew back from the UK over the weekend, and self-care is needed. I am nursing an allergic reaction to something, as my face is beet red and hot as a pistol! Though I have a list a mile long of things…
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    • 27w
    • Author
      Ivy McGregor
      Eden first off my sister I'm so grateful for your safe travels. Sorry about the allergic reaction, but glad you are taking the time to listen to your body and give it time to breathe, heal and recover.
      I'm beyond proud of you for tackling the topic of…
      See more
      • 27w
  • Top fan
    Brittanie Thomas
    “I had to see it in myself, no matter what, otherwise, I would always be stuck in a limited and unfulfilled version of me.”
    This stands out very tall for me. 2021 has been a year of “taking the advice I give,” being intentional to grow in faith & tru…
    See more
    • 27w
    • Author
      Ivy McGregor
      Brittanie, thanks for being the first responder 🙂 today. Thanks for reading and sharing your comment! The point you lift is a poignant one on the road to GREATER, we have to see it in ourselves first. So proud you see you and are walking in the direc…
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      • 27w
  • Top fan
    Shondra L. Dickson
    Wow! This article was right on time. I needed to be reminded that self love and self care does not make me selfish. I've been trying to make it a habit to be mindful of slowing down and taking some deep breaths. I create my own anxiety because of being…
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    • 27w
    • Author
      Ivy McGregor
      Shondra, YOU ARE MY SISTER FRIEND FOR LIFE! And it's so heart warming to hear that my words are inspiring and serving as a reminder for you to take care of you. Keep shining and SOARing.
      • 27w
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