The fact we are here. The fact we live. The fact we see, hear, touch, smell and taste. The fact we have languages. What about these things would you not name a miracle? What about your life is mundane? Would it be that the heart within your chest started to beat after only a few cells conjoined and it has never stopped?

Life in our universe is absolutely, completely a miracle and yet so often we take it completely for granted. Survival is no longer the aim of most humans on planet earth today (although sadly it is for some). Thrival is what we actually seek today. I know “thrival” is not a word yet but I thought I might introduce it today if I might.

Thrival is the state of being which transcends survival and adds the notion that we must thrive to survive. Thrival is closer to the state of “nirvana” in the Buddha’s teachings. It  means we must grow and progress toward prosperity in all aspects of our lives. Thrival is the new level of survival for humankind. Survival was level one. Thrival is level two.

So what is necessary in our new pursuit? Well I think you are gonna love this. I believe thrival is the balance between acceptance and choice. It is a very interesting fulcrum indeed. Thrival is the pivot point when we both accept our relativity in the universe (I am here only because everything else is here around me) and our choices (I can move and create within the universe as a result of everything else being available and connected to me). So you can see how thrival is a construct of the conscious mind and we needed to be well fed, clothed and housed before we had time to discover it and understand it.

Coming back to our daily living thrival looks like a sense of belonging not separation. We are not apart from each other nor the earth itself. We live both within the world and because of it.  We are part of the fabric of life not a separate carpet. We accept this profound gift with gratitude. We turn our attitude towards celebrating the earth not confiscating it. We become more in tune with the earth and in turn we are more in tune with ourselves as we are made from the earth, are part of the cycles of the earth, will return to the earth .

In terms of our choices thrival looks like choice in context. We act in the interests of the earth because in fact it is in our interest and the interests of all humankind. We do not debate it. We understand it and we relate to it at our deepest core level. We value all life that sustains us even though we consume it. We make choices which put us in harmony with each other not at odds with one another. Our freedom ends where anothers begins. We realize we cannot thrive alone, it is a state of shared harmony.

So today I am going to celebrate the miracle of life right here and now. I willingly accept and pursue thrival in my life. I support others to thrive and they support me. I choose actions, words and beliefs which are tune with life itself and aid my fellow human journeymen. Today is the first step on the conscious path of my thrival. And so it is.