How to Harness Hope

 Now, with so much going on in the world that is out of our control, how do we feel hope and a sense of agency in our lives? How can we feel that life is progressing? Here's a thought. Are you open to waking up the resilience, the resourcefulness, and the fearlessness that are at the core of who you are? Your true essential self is very strong. You were born with this inner strength and with the capacity for resilience. The good news is that these can be easier to access under the right conditions. So how can we do this? Today, we’ll explore 4 ways to harness hope and tap into the best of who you are.

1. Don’t let your self-image be your saboteur.

It’s natural that we know ourselves to be a certain way. But what if you could widen your perspective to see an expanded and more elevated version of yourself? This is a version that is not bound by history, by the conditioning we’ve grown up with, or by other people’s expectations. The main saboteur that most people have to contend with is our own unconscious self-talk, and the blabber of our inner critic.  Awareness is the key to change. We need either to unlearn old ways of thinking or see them for what they are: this false outdated "trance of unworthiness." Time to wake up; time to let that GO!

2. What lights you up? Do more of that. Personally, my solution for dealing with troubled times is to intentionally build my inner strength, and to stretch into an area that is life-enhancing and somewhat novel. Lately I'm seeing that strengthening the body has the ripple effect of strengthening the mind. But it's different for everyone. The question is : "What is that for you?" The idea of using this as a touchpoint, daily or every second day, is not about the “outcome” we  hope to achieve. The “achievement/outcome” is now measured by how we pivot back to this touchpoint. Which leads us to:

3.Consistency builds self-trust. Self-trust builds self-confidence. In my case, it’s not the act of lifting weights. It’s the act of honoring my own wishes. This can be facilitated by replacing negative beliefs (I’m too busy, old, tired, etc) with positive ones (just do something small, anything is possible, I make the time, and I’m being guided). The act of returning to this touchpoint, again and again, (even when we're not in the mood, and even asking for help when something is new); that is the win. Beyond an isolated act, you are creating a system. There are no negatives outcomes when this system is running.

"When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running. And a system can be successful in many different forms, not just the one you first envision." - James Clear

Believe in yourself and envision the joy of expanding into who you really are. Hope is the natural outcome, and you deserve nothing less.

And on a final note:

4. Gentle reminder to look towards the best within us. At the heart of it, most humans want the same thing: to love and be loved, to be seen, and to make a difference in their own personal way. Believe in the goodness of people. Have faith in the future. Let's remember that we are all connected in the deepest of ways. ❤️🙏🏼❤️