How's the Thriving Journey Going? What IS this Journey?

Photo of where Tessa stayed on her recent writing retreat to begin editing Part II of her book.

Hi, everybody. My name's Tessa. I'm a dancer, writer, thinker, and I'm on a thriving journey! This journey coincides with writing my autobiography, and it's a 5-year project. To explain, let me give a bit of the backstory:

The last time I talked with a particular person who's highly important to me, I said, "I don't know how to thrive in this situation." 

That's the truth! I've felt stuck, panicked, terrified, and miserable for many years; I've been at a loss for how to grow, be happy, and make it in a situation that seems impossible. 

So what's a girl to do?
Great question! I wish I had an easy answer, but I don't. If there's one thing I know about me, it's this: I'm stubborn. True to myself, then, I'm choosing the challenging route in this journey. Yep!

Since life has been challenging for so long, there's no way I'm gonna go for something easy. For, "easy" feels wrong (i.e., off) to me. I'll put myself through just about anything to make it to the other side--to the other side of this mess.

Why?
Because I believe the other side is/will be worth it. 

To be clear, I've been told more than once to leave my situation. I've had several opinions given about what I should do. I've even received attractive offers (e.g., if you knew my story, you'd know how specific encounters nearly took me over the edge). 

All of the "noise" has caused me to reflect long and hard about what I want in life.

What's more, I'm sure I come across as the "bad guy" time and time again in my story. The truth is: I am the bad guy! I've been living the result of my errors for MANY years; my mistakes have haunted me since my teens. 

I'm TIRED OF THE JOURNEY, y'all--more than tired. I've wanted to give up like no other. Not a day went past in 2020 where I didn't want to run, call it quits, or go into complete hysterics (and yeah, I did many times by the end of the year).

It's funny how someone can externally "keep it together," seeming calm, cool, and collected, but on the inside, be terrified, fed up, and nearly out of faith. That's me: I'm at the end of my rope.

So tell us about the thriving journey, Tessa:
Great! So, here enters the journey: the thriving journey. After my final conversation with that particular person, I knew there was no other option for me but to thrive in life. 

That final conversation was in June 2019. It's now March 6, 2021, and I have to tell you, I've been doing everything BUT thriving since then. Aside from reconnecting with old-friends (i.e., my awesome high school classmates), life's been a bear, and it's tried to consume me.

It's a good thing I'm feisty; this story isn't gonna take me down, folks.

It's not!

So tell us about thriving, Tessa, and HOW you're going to make it: 
For starters, let's get nerdy. The word "thrive" comes from a Nordic word (how cool!). It's believed to be associated with "thrifa," which means "to grasp." 

In today's sense, thriving is mainly associated with growing, succeeding, prospering, making progress, and, overall, doing well in life. For example, we may hear about children thriving in their environments or how a business is growing and flourishing (i.e., prospering). 

According to these definitions, I want to grow! I want to succeed. I want my life to turn out well. 

However, I don't just want this for ME; I want whoever is close to me (or whoever encounters me) to thrive TOO!!! This means, above all, I want my family TO THRIVE. 

Mommy thriving = my children thriving; my children thriving = Mommy thriving. This then translates to our family life functioning at its optimum, which is . . . joy!

That said, how the heck can one grow/succeed, especially when one feels  stuck and trapped in life: 
Wow! Another great question. I hope to begin tackling these topics in upcoming posts. For, I'm not kidding: my very life depends on these subjects.

So, to thriving! Let's go :) 

Here are some recent photos of Tessa & her family thriving :) Enjoy!

Above are photos of me and the kiddos thriving and playing. Also, I went on another writing retreat. If you haven't already, you can see posts regarding my latest retreat here: Post 1, Post 2, Post 3.

If you want to learn more about all I do, visit my about page! Of course, the best way to keep up on Inner Reformation is to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If you need to reach me, feel free to contact me. Enjoy the journey! Love, Tessa