ELT is a term I hear all the time in technology: extract, load, transform. You pull information from one place, load it somewhere else, and then shape it into something useful—charts, reports, insights. But I don’t want to talk about data. I want to talk about life. Because ELT can be a surprisingly clear way to understand where we are, how we’re moving, and what we’re settling for.
For me, ELT becomes: Existing, Living, Thriving. It’s not a rigid label, and it’s not meant to judge anyone. It’s more like a curve you can check in with—a quick self-audit that helps you notice what season you’re in and what you actually want next.
Existing is the baseline. You show up, you do the job, you handle responsibilities, you follow the routine. You get through your days by completing what needs to be completed. There’s nothing “wrong” with existing—sometimes it’s exactly what life requires. But the key sign is that you’re mostly operating on process. You’re functioning, but you’re not necessarily feeling energized or expanded.
Living is different. You might still have the same job and the same responsibilities, but you add color and energy back into your days. You do things that make you feel like a person, not just a role—seeing friends, going out, hiking, dancing, traveling, creating, exploring. Living is when your life has moments that refill you, and that energy often spreads to the people around you too.
Thriving is the part that gets interesting. Thriving is not just “being busy” or “looking successful.” Thriving is when you use what you have—your skills, your abilities, your experience, even your wealth or influence—to make a real difference. It’s when challenges don’t only drain you; they shape you. It’s when you’re building something: your own growth, stronger relationships, better communities, a bigger impact.
A lot of people treat thriving like a scoreboard: the title, the money, the recognition. But I think thriving is more about who you become. Are you growing into someone you respect? Are you choosing problems worth solving? Are you helping others rise while you rise? That’s a deeper kind of success than a highlight reel.
The ELT approach isn’t a rulebook, and it’s not meant to be followed the same way by everyone. Different stages of life demand different things. Sometimes existing is all you can manage, and that’s okay. Sometimes living is the right goal. And sometimes you feel ready to push toward thriving.
But here’s the thought I don’t want to ignore: if you never reach that last stage—if you never give yourself a real chance to thrive—you may not have been as good to yourself as you could have been. Not because you “failed,” but because you stayed in a smaller version of your life for too long.
So the question becomes simple: where are you right now—existing, living, or thriving? And what is one small shift you can make to move one step forward on that curve?
https://dsouzaronald.in/category/life
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