Survive? Or THRIVE!

When I was young, I remember when my parents bought us kids a Nintendo NES for Christmas one year. It was the coolest thing we'd ever had. My brothers were instantly hooked to the thing. Me, on the other hand, enjoyed playing but was never really good.
My goal while playing Super Mario Brothers was always to get through as quickly as I could, avoiding all large disasters. I never knew that there was a point system, I just thought you played to get to the end. My brother, on the other hand, saw it differently. Before he had even picked up a controller, my oldest brother was a master of video games. He was a natural. Not only did he make it to the end of the game, but he also collected the most points, found the most treasures, explored the various alternate routes and really got to experience the game in whole. He was a video game thriver, while I was a video game survivor.
I've found that in our parenting journey, the same can be said. Some mothers are born to mother. They are naturals and are able to get all the bonus points while enjoying the details of their lives. Others, they are survivors. Trying to make it through to the end of the day avoiding as many disasters as possible. Some of us thrive, while other of us are just surviving.
I don't want to spend my children's childhood just surviving. I do not want them to look back and think, well, we didn't die. We turned out fine. I want a childhood for them that is steeped in richness, love, and exploration. I want them to turn out better than fine. I want them to THRIVE!
There are times when survival is all that we can achieve. When daddies are away, when times are hard, when we're suffering morning sickness, or dealing with a three and a half year old. Because happy does not need to be the only acceptable emotion in families, it's okay to have periods of plain survival. But I hope that survival is not how I will define my life. I hope that when I'm finished travelling through a valley, I can pull myself up, see around me with a new outlook on life and be ready to be a thriver.
So, what can I do? How do those natural thrivers make it happen? Personality? Life experience? Maybe. Probably. But, also, attitude and determination. Every morning when I wake up, what is my attitude? Am I dreading dealing with my children? Am I bitter at the housework that is necessary? Stop! I don't need to just "deal" with my children! I need to lead them by example! SHOW them how much I love them, SHOW them how life can be an adventure and can be both challenging and rewarding. I want to make sure I take time away from being serious and responsible, and allow for silliness and fun! When I make an effort to smile more and laugh throughout the day, I notice how it can change my attitude and the attitudes of those around me. When I say Yes more often than No, I discover that life can be fun. When I join in the kids' games, instead of retreating to my own thing, I begin a connection that grows my kids into thrivers. And then I discover that I, myself, am thriving too.