October 17, 2026- Survival mode

The ways you have learned to survive may not be the ways you wish to continue to live.

~Thema Bryant

Sometimes, we just do what we need to do to get by. We go into survival mode. We turn off all the accessories and we try to keep the engine going without completely running out of gas. We close all our apps and go on airplane mode, hoping to make that battery last until we get back to a charger.

We become quite adept at getting by, because we feel like we have no alternative. However, how much of our time in survival mode is prompted by replaying things that caused us grief yesterday? How much of our panic is caused by worrying about disasters that may happen tomorrow?

If we can pull our attention into the present, we may find space to thrive. We can take ourselves out of survival mode by acknowledging that we do not have to face a lifetime of troubles, all in one moment. All we have to do is make our next choice. That choice can be informed by our past and present, but it does not need to be a slave to either.

The best version of us is not just looking to survive one more day. The best version of us wants to thrive every day. We want to move toward our dreams rather than constantly fleeing our nightmares. Let’s lean into the possibility that our lives are filled with beauty and fulfillment.