THRIVE

Thrive is a model for understanding vocation and meaning-making. It aims to ensure every student graduating from Augsburg will understand what it takes for them to thrive, for their communities to thrive, and for our world to thrive. Thrive is built of 6 components: traits, health, responsibility, inspiration, voice, and empathy. Through self-reflection, guided conversations, and curricular and co-curricular experiences, students will explore and discover their unique way of thriving and helping others thrive.

The 6 Components of THRIVE

The components of your character and personality that no one can take from you – your strengths, your passions, etc. The more we use our strengths on a daily basis, the more fulfilled we are in life. Knowing your strengths and passions is an important part of learning how you can thrive in life.

Key Questions

  • What are your strengths and your passions?
  • If people who knew me best bragged about my gifts and strengths, what would they say?
  • What are the things I really love doing even if I’m not good at them?

Tools for Understanding Traits

On Campus Resources

The practices and habits you build into your life that keep you health and well in body, mind, and spirit. Knowing how to take care of yourself holistically and doing it on a regular basis is correlated with a more satisfying life.

Key Questions

  • What do you need to stay healthy and well in body, mind, and spirit?
  • What are the things I do to stay healthy emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, physically, environmentally, financially, occupationally, and socially?
  • How can I be more deliberate about building these into my life on a regular basis?

Tools for Understanding Health

On Campus Resources

The people, places, and things in our lives which we feel a strong sense of responsibility to. These things shift throughout our lives. Knowing what we feel responsible for, knowing how to stay connected to these responsibilities, and knowing how to balance them helps us thrive.

Key Questions

  • Who are the people, where are the places, and what are the things I feel a deep sense of responsibility for? Why?
  • What do these responsibilities reveal about me and my priorities?

Tools for Understanding Responsibility

That which inspires you and compels you to live your life in a particular way. Sources of inspiration are often your core values, religious convictions or practices, community, expectations, hope for a better world, etc. Knowing what inspires you and knowing how to stay connected to that source of inspiration is associated with thriving.

Key Questions

  • What are my core values and how do they shape my life?
  • Who or what is it that inspires me to live a good and purposeful life?

Tools for Understanding Inspiration

Your voice is the power and agency you have to advocate for yourself and others who need you as their ally and advocate. Those who know where and how they do and don’t have power tend to have a more lasting impact and live more satisfying and engaging lives.

Key Questions

  • How will you use your voice and power to help others?
  • What is my sphere of influence – the roles, places, and relationships – where I can really make an impact?
  • How would I like to see my sphere of influence expand?

Tools for Understanding Voice

Empathy is the ability to see things from someone else’s perspective, emotionally understand their feelings, and feel moved to help them. Those who can identify and engage in the issues they care about often report higher levels of happiness in life and increased levels of empathy.

Key Questions

  • What are the causes or issues that break your heart and keep you up at night?
  • What are some problems you would love to solve?

Tools for Understanding Empathy

Source

This digital guide is adapted from a Career Exploration Day 2026 resource created by Dr. Jeremy Myers in the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg University.

Use this link to view the full PDF from Career Exploration Day.