Hi guys! Welcome to Episode 622 of the Wildly Successful Lifestyle Podcast! I’m Heidi, and as always, I’m so happy to be here with you today. You know, I love these chats because they always get me thinking about how we can level up our lives in the simplest, most powerful ways. We all should be and can be—thriving. Like, really thriving. That’s what I want for all of us and I know that’s what you want too. I was chatting about this episode with my husband and I said something like for those that want to thrive and he looked at me and said everybody wants to thrive. And I thought that is so true, everyone does want to thrive but thriving looks different for each one of us. So, a few questions to get your wheels turning: Where do you thrive? Who do you thrive around? And what lights you up? Hold onto those questions; we’ll circle back to them.
Because we all have the ability to thrive and we deserve to be thriving. And that is individual for each one of us but there are things that will universally suck the life out of us if we aren’t careful and I’m going to talk about those too.
I was thinking about thriving this week because my little sister—she’s this incredible force, and watching her lately has been such an eye-opener for me. She just got back from her regional sales meeting, where her whole team gathers to brainstorm, plan for the year ahead, and yeah, they do it in these amazing spots. This time? Austin, at this gorgeous winery. It was only a few days, but oh man, I saw her absolutely thriving there. Surrounded by people just like her—driven, healthy, young, all about living their best lives and pushing to be the absolute best versions of themselves. She just shines in that environment. I mean, the stories she tells me? They’re gold. I could listen to her all day.
And it’s not just those trips. During her regular weeks, she spends a ton of time in the OR, working alongside doctors and surgeons. When she talks about it, her face lights up like a Christmas tree. But you know what I think it really boils down to? It’s not the job itself—it’s the people. She thrives around folks who are thriving too, and who see that fire in her and get ignited by it. It’s like this beautiful energy exchange.
I’ve watched her evolve over the years—through different jobs, friends, life twists and turns—and it’s fascinating how much the people we surround ourselves with shape us. It matters so deeply. My sister, Molly? She’s this bright, shining light. Everywhere she goes, people feel it. For some, that light might feel a tad too bright, so they try to dim it a little. But for others? They just want to bask in it, even if it’s just for a moment. It’s inspiring to see.
And honestly, it makes me reflect on my own life. For me, I feel so alive and thriving when I’m deep in the mix with my clients and my contractors—those regular interactions? They energize me like nothing else. Same goes for taking my online sketching classes, hanging out with family and friends, doing a group class at the gym, or even just sipping coffee and chatting with my husband. Those moments? Pure magic. They make me feel alive.
But here’s the thing—our minds love to trick us into thinking comfort is the ultimate goal. I mean, I don’t have to work; that’s a luxury I never take for granted. Yet sometimes, especially on those high-pressure projects where clients are trusting me with thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of dollars to create their dream home, it can feel intense. Like, recently, I was working on this kitchen remodel with a couple who were so excited, but the budget crept a bit higher than planned. They trusted me to make it worth every penny, and there was this moment where the pressure hit me hard. I thought, “Why am I doing this?” But then, standing in that kitchen with them, the contractor, all the subs—it’s like I’m orchestrating this beautiful symphony. And in that instant, I feel so alive. I think to myself, “This is why. I’m made for this.” If I let my mind pull me toward total comfort—sitting at home all cozy—I’d end up feeling more drained and tired than ever. Why? Because, as this monk I follow on X put it so perfectly: “You’re not home because you’re tired; you’re tired because you’re home.” Spending too much time isolated or just lounging around can suck the life right out of you.
I’ve noticed it in my own routine too. There are days when I’ve spent too much time alone at home or scrolling endlessly on X, and even after sleeping a solid eight hours, I feel totally drained. It’s wild, right? Because X—or any social media, really—is like video games, alcohol, or even drugs in a way. It’s that fake dopamine hit. It feels exciting in the moment, but long-term? It’s not helping us thrive. If anything, it’s sucking the life out of us. It’s my job to not only notice that but to also do something about it.
So, here’s my takeaway: Putting yourself in places where you thrive? That’s your job. Surrounding yourself with people who make you feel alive? Totally possible, and again, your job. So many of us wait around for someone else to swoop in and fix things, or to make us feel that spark we’re craving. But nope—it’s on us to create that thriving life. And the best part? It’s possible for every single one of us.
So my challenge to you this week is to answer these three questions : Where do you thrive? Who do you thrive around? What lights you up?Answer those questions for yourself and it’s like drawing a map to your best self. Sometimes we don’t know what we want because we haven’t really given it much thought, Answering those 3 questions will go a long way in being a recipe for how to light up your life and like my husband said, who doesn’t want that? Share this with 3 people you light up your life. I love you guys, Ill talk to you in a few days!
