Going beyond survival mode is a huge step — but no one tells you it brings its own set of struggles. For a long time, I thought I was “out” of survival mode. I had a job. I paid my bills. I had a roof over my head. But looking back, I realize I was in something I now call functional survival . I could keep the lights on, but inside, I was still bracing for the next storm. I could smile in public, but my body was still living like danger was around every corner. My parents worked hard — and in their own way, they taught me to do the same. They taught me that if you want something in life, you work for it. They taught me that blood is loyalty. But no one ever showed me how to go beyond the grind of survival. No one taught me how to truly thrive . Thriving is a different skill set. It’s learning to let yourself feel joy without waiting for it to be snatched away. It’s building dreams bigger than your “just in case” plan. It’s letting yourself rest without guilt. I’m ...
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