Survivin’, Thrivin’, or Jivin’?

I’m often asking myself, and wondering about others, “Are you Survivin’, Thrivin’, or Jivin’?”  Are you simply getting through the day, or maybe progressing towards a desired goal/contributing to society, or are you struggling to keep your head above water, but bull-sh**ing about your real status?

I’m probably doing all three at once, 24/7.  Well, maybe not jivin’ while I’m sleeping, because when are we more honest than when we’re asleep?  But which of these conditions rises to the top at any given moment?  And where is this leading?

Let’s start with Survivin’.  It’s the necessary foundation for the possibility of anything better and more fulfilling for oneself, but who wants to live in the basement?  We all want to move on up!  Perhaps my first philosophical insight was my recognition and acceptance of (perhaps my own version of) Maslow’s Hierarch of Needs.  First things first, take care of one’s need to survive.  Eat, sleep, reproduce; hopefully in a context of some comfort and safety.  Then consider interacting with, and caring about, others.  Fun and Love aren’t really possible until basic survival has been addressed to a fairly compassionate level.

What percent of a given day/week/year/life is spent on simple survival issues?  Probably 100% if you’re a cave man, orphan, refugee or hostage; but in this day and age, I’d like to think that we should all aspire to, and have opportunity for, a condition beyond simple survival.

I think those (positive) conditions encompass what I mean when I mention Thrivin’.  Thrivin’ is probably a totally individualized concept, different for each of us at any given time, but basically,  What do you want to accomplish?  What do you enjoy?  What do you want?  What keeps you going?  These pursuits provide individual meaning and purpose while providing collective benefits.  Keep your eyes on the prize, and practice Relentless Positive Action. 

But what percent of a given day/week/year/life is available to nurture thrivin’?   I’m an extremely fortunate individual; my value here is pretty high.  Some readers might be thinking, “Too high; distract this guy with some time-consuming problems!”  Can we simply recognize that this is the Good Part of Life; but that it’s only possible to sustain^ when our survivin’ has already been taken care of?  And that we have to be honest with ourselves here, and not dismiss any costs of our selfish pursuits?

Because Jivin’ is simply being dishonest, whether it’s with oneself or publicly.  The source of this dishonesty is either blind pursuit of our desires, or simple pride.  Either can get in the way of a true assessment of our condition, or take away from our Thrivin’.  Jivin’ encompasses all the negative conditions that can threaten our ability to thrive.

Be honest with yourself (if you can*); what percent of a given day/week/year/life has been wasted on jivin’?

So, am I Survivin’, Thrivin’, or Jivin’?  It depends on when the question is asked, but if I’m awake, I’m undoubtedly doing all three.  I do promise to try to Minimize the Jive and Maximize the Thrive.  I’ll keep Jackie Darwin’s Thrivin’ of the Survivin’est and Jackie Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in mind.  I wish the same for you, too.

^And here’s the rub.  If it’s not sustainable, it’s probably not good in the long run.  Or, it’s at somebody else’s cost.

*Because I probably can’t.  I suspect we are all partially blind to our subtle dishonesties.  But that’s probably part of our genetic code; not getting bogged down in considering the consequences of all our actions is likely a key to our survival.  And that’s where it all starts.