When Robin Roberts returned to Good Morning America a handful of years ago, after undergoing a bone marrow transplant to treat Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), she started speaking about being more than just a survivor. Instead she spoke about being a “thriver” after she had kicked the a$$ of both MDS and breast cancer. It was a conscious decision she made to persevere after surviving her health battles. Taking advantage of her public platform, she created a social initiative called #ThriverThursday and began highlighting others who made the conscious decision to thrive despite what they had faced.
Robin Roberts went up against not one but two life threatening illnesses and found a way to turn the ultimate negative into an inspiring positive that now uplift others. Do we all, deep down, possess this same ability? Can we all undergo a horribly bad day, extremely challenging experience, or the fight of our life and choose whether we wish to thrive or merely survive? I’ve always thought that the answer was “yes” as long as we still possessed the empathy needed to be a successful part of society.
Most of our lives are focused on being empathetic to those we lead at work, the next generation we’re molding at home, or even our friends and aging relatives. However, if the potentially life altering challenge you faced leaves you without the ability to identify and understand other people’s emotions then your lack of empathy will make thriving in today’s world a struggle. Well, unless you want to move to an island and live in seclusion. Think of Tom Hanks in Castaway. He might have been able to get away without empathy, but I’m not so sure most would consider his time on the island with Wilson as a life spent prospering or flourishing.
Is empathy the key to thriving after a major life challenge? Heck, I’m taking it one step further. Is empathy the key to thriving in life no matter what hand you’re dealt? Yes, I think it is! When you’re empathetic to others it appears to naturally reduce their defensive energy and helps to break down walls for improved communication. The positive energy emulating from you can be felt by whomever you’re interacting with; assuming they also possess empathy. If they don’t then all bets are off.
The way I see it, the choice is all yours. Only you can set your intention for life. Only you can decide how you navigate through the challenges placed along your journey. You are the key or detriment to your future. Do you want to merely survive each day or thrive with empathy through every step of your adventure here on earth?