In conversation at one of our support group meetings we got into the topic of Survivors and Thrivers. One young lady asked the question “What’s the difference”? The definition goes like this….
Picture two people going out in a boat only to see there was a little hole in the bottom with water pouring in. There was a little round plug there but neither dared to use it. With the boat almost full of water both jump overboard and swam for shore. Reaching the shore they climbed up onto the beach and caught their breath.
AS they both sat back on the beach people would pass by and the first of the two would keep telling his story of his near misfortune and the story never changed, The second of the two then got up from where he sat and walked over to another boat and pushed it into the water. This time he took the plug and plugged the tiny hole in the boat. He left shore and enjoyed a beautiful day on the water.
If you think about it the first displayed being a survivor taking his ordeal and doing nothing but talk about it. The second displayed a thriver because he took what happened to him and used that knowledge to change the situation and get right back at it. In his case enjoying a day on the water, in life it’s about recovery.