In an effort to be more visible on social media, I recently posted this quote from Maya Angelou:

“My mission in life is to not merely survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

I don’t remember where I saw the word ‘thrive’ compared to ‘survive’, but it sent me down the 'rabbit hole’ in search of more information on these two words.

Survive: Per the dictionary — continue to live or exist, in spite of danger or hardship; manage to keep going in challenging circumstances.

Thrive: Also, per the dictionary — to prosper - be fortunate or successful; to grow or develop vigorously - to flourish.

Both are good, don’t get me wrong - I’m not choosing one over the other. To be content in my life, I would like to have some of both.

Survive, to me, equals resilience - that ability to find strength to get through (or around) challenges.

Thrive, to me, equals surviving with growth, with passion (as Maya Angelou so eloquently stated).

I have had challenges in life, though - for the most part - I count myself fortunate at age 71, to still have my health, strength, balance (a challenge at times), and agility. I’m not sure I would be in this state, had I not had the practice of Yoga to support me (big thanks to my husband for guiding and supporting me in this direction).

Each time I step onto the yoga mat, I experience a sense of opportunity and exploration - all parts of thriving, in my mind. I know I could choose to do as some in my world did - to retire, to settle in, to allow their views of the world to narrow. I hope those days are a long ways in my future; and I am sure that continuing my Yoga practice will assist me towards this goal.

So, I teach, I learn, and I do so with passion, some compassion, humor, style, and humility.

I would not be here without the students who support me, the friends who listen to me, and my family who are always present. My gratitude to all.

As with all my posts, I try to keep them personal not preachy. If you have thoughts to share, I would love to hear them.

I still teach my 4 classes at Sage Yoga each week; schedule is on the Sage website. And, my new business, North County Yoga Therapy, I’m happy to say is thriving. You are already on my website, and can read more as you move around the site.

More next time; take care, we are still in troubling and divisive times,

Leslie