We all wear an invisible backpack each day that comes with a gift. We get to choose what we pack in it. Many days, I pack moments that remind me how resilient I am and what matters to me. Here’s an article I wrote on the many moments that give me hope. May it remind you of something that gives you hopefulness when you need it most.
It’s an excerpt from ‘The Fire Inside You, ” an e-book I recently published in collaboration with poet and publishing coach Scott Andrew James.
For more content, inspiration and fuel for your fire visit me at my website.
Holding on to Hope
I’m one of those people who believe in the promise of another sunrise and the power of hope.
We’ve all known times when we feel like life is spinning out of control. When we don’t know if we can get out of bed, complete a workday or stop crying.
Those moments can make us feel like we’ll never be able to function again and our spirits will never return. We must defeat those moments by holding tight to hope.At times, we might forget that hope is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it means, “a feeling that what is wanted can be had or will turn out for the best.” And as a verb, “to believe, desire or trust.”
To find hope, we must lean in and trust or believe.
That requires work, my dear friends.
We can’t just figure that maybe things will work out.
We have to have a deep trust that they will.
We can’t expect that someone will take care of a situation for us; we must believe that we can change it.
If you need to find hope, these three things might help you:
1. Deep breaths: If you feel hopeless, pause and take three deep breaths. Then do it again. Deep breathing is scientifically proven to reduce stress and help with anxiety or remind you of comforting moments. I’m no doctor, nor do I play one on TV, so this article from WebMD might help convince you. I’ve started the practice of breathing with intention, and it’s really helped me.
2. Focus on the positive: There’s at least one bright spot each day. It might not feel like it, but there is one thing you can be happy about and celebrate. It could be just waking up and dancing in the shower or the fact that you have hot food to eat. There is one thing that you can have a clap fest over. Think about it, and clap for a couple of seconds to celebrate. Here are a couple more medical articles: one focused on how to stop negative thoughts and another on how to generate positive thoughts. Let’s be real: If you aren’t walking around with a pocketful of sunshine, it might be hard to think of happy things. Either way, I get you.
3. Reconnect: During times of uncertainty, we usually have more downtime than we are used to. Use it to reconnect. Perhaps it is reconnecting with yourself through journal writing. You could choose to reconnect with nature and take walks or hikes. For me, there’s nothing like feeling sun on my face. It’s a kiss of hope. May hope fill the world and be the very thing that ties us together.