Lisa Toney - Thrive: Live Like You Matter

THRIVE

LIVE LIKE YOU MATTER

Copyright 2013 by Lisa Toney

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Permissions, The United Methodist Publishing House, P. O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or e-mailed to permissions@umpublishing.org.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Toney, Lisa.

Thrive : live like you matter / Lisa Toney.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-4267-5696-2 (binding: soft black, pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Self-actualization (Psychology) I. Title.

BF637. S4T647 2013

158dc23

2013011497

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 2210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FOR MY THRIVE TEAM.

LOVE YOU GUYS!

MOM AND DAD.

JESSICA AND JULIE. EVAMARIE.

DENISE AND TAMIKO.

ZOE, GUS, AND PAX.

CARL, MY FAITHFUL MAN.

JESUS, THE THRIVE MASTER.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME THRIVE.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Mary Oliver

WELCOME TO THE PLANET. Im glad you could make it.

When you were born, you were given this time and place to be alive. You have made it this far. Congratulations. The question is, now what? What will you do with this one life you have been given? How will you make the most of it? How will you make a difference? How will you thrive?

You did not just fall out of the sky. The stork really did not drop you off at your parents front steps. You were created with purpose and intentionality. God wants you to be here in this time and place as part of the seven billion people who fill our planet. Even if you have never felt as if anyone wanted you, God does. God created you. God breathed life into you. God does want you to be here. God wants you to have this amazing life where you live life to the fullest and experience the wonder of the human existence through the relationships that you have. God wants you to thrive.

A life that thrives can impact our planet by leaving a legacy of goodness and generosity. A life that thrives has the ability to benefit others as well as find personal satisfaction. Doesnt that sound good? Im in.

How do we get there, though? How do we thrive? Good questions. It always seems like something that happens to someone else, doesnt it? Yet this discovery of a life with meaning and purpose can be yours too. It is as thrilling as lifting the lid off a treasure chest. Are you ready to go treasure hunting?

I grew up in Michigan, so just finding the ground again after a snowy winter was like discovering buried treasure. But at the little lake near my childhood home, summer provided the best opportunities for treasure hunting. The water was so transparent, my two sisters, friends, and I could see minnows swim by our feet. We plucked them out of the water, staring eyeball to bulging fish eyeball as they squirmed and wiggled to escape our grip. The tiny hidden crayfish that peeked out from the shadows of docks and boat hoists were our dire enemies; those pinchers morphed in my mind into giant lobster-sized claws that could attack at any moment.

The clams were our treasure. They burrowed into the sand, often hidden with only slivers of their shells visible. But they did not hide as well as they thought. They left clam trackslittle lines drawn in the sand as they dragged their shells along the bottom of the lake. They snuggled down in the sand, tantalizing us in our search.

In our mighty sailing vesselmy dads rowboat equipped with oars twice our size, a bucket of water, and a giant fishing net hanging from a polewe cast off and followed clam trails, leaned over the edge of the boat, dug into the sand, and cast out our net. As those little clams emerged from the waters into our net, we piled them into our bucket of water and whooped with excitement. Again and again, one clam at a time, we searched, dug, and rejoiced. What a rush for a ten-year-old sailing the high seas in two feet of water.

With our bucket overflowing with treasure, we carried our hoard to the end of the dock. After counting our haul, we cast them back into their sparkling aquatic home so we could chase them again. Sure, they had all night to get a head start, but wed be back. They could runor crawlbut we would find them again. Half the fun was the search and, of course, the big net.

But the real thrill was definitely the treasure. On one of those perfect summer days, my dad decided to let us keep our bucket of treasure. Sitting on the dock, he opened up all those tiny clams with a knife and put all those pieces of clam meat in a pile. Back in the kitchen, my mom kept a watchful eye as my dad turned our treasure into homemade clam chowder.

As we set the picnic table with bowls and spoons, we were ready to dive into our delicious fresh catch. I slurped a creamy spoonful. Creamy and... gritty. I could taste sand in every bite. This story would have been way better if the clam chowder had been amazing, right?

Searching for buried treasure is exhilarating; theres the potential of a mystery solved. Everyone I know loves a good treasure hunt, especially if the pursuit uncovers something rare of great worth.

That was how I felt when I first found a little life gem. It had always been sitting there, just waiting to be discovered... buried treasure. This time, though, it was a treasure I wanted to hold on to, not throw back. It was not an ingredient of sand soup. Instead, it shone like a valuable gold nugget.

This treasure was hidden in an ancient Hebrew proverb, a simple saying packed with truth. Although it has existed for many years, it positioned itself differently for me one day.

I was developing a spiritual coaching program, and I stumbled across this treasure as I was looking for a way to adequately describe the amazing changes I saw taking place when people lived with purpose and focus. As we matched spiritual life coaches with their mentees, I saw the power of intentional relationships to spark growth and hope. These purposeful relationships were helping people thrive.

As I reflected on the people who had invested in me, I noted so many who had intentionally poured time and wisdom into my life, thereby helping set me on a thriving course. As a child, I had parents who cherished and guided me. As a deeply depressed teenager who felt betrayed by a dear friend, I found healing through the care and nurturing guidance of a local pastor. As a cynical college student, I had the unwavering relational commitment of an unexpected kindred spirit who restored my faith in friendship. As a young professional, I benefited from a supervisor who offered wise counsel and direction. As a newlywed, I met weekly with a respected friend for advice and encouragement. When the parenting adventure began, the wisdom and experience of my older sister and parenting friends became priceless. The list goes on and on of people who devoted themselves to invest in me. Each offered me healing, direction, and wisdom.