// finding hope //

During last year's election, I all but completely got off of social media.  Don't worry, I'm NOT going to get political here, just building the plot.  Anyhow, all I wanted to do was get on Facebook and Instagram and troll all of my friends and their beautiful families, businesses that I compulsively shop with, and the occasional stalking of a past boyfriend.  But, every time I scrolled, I found negativity, bullying, rage, hate, lack of understanding, and on and on and on.  I would turn to my husband (who is on NO social media outlets) and tell him how crazy people were!  One day, he said so matter of factly, "unfriend them" ~ and that is exactly what I did.

From that moment forward, everyone who passive aggressively "shared" an article, expressed psychoticness, or posted some bullyish meme got the axe.  I can tell you that doing this made me feel free!  Now I could return to seeing what I WANTED to see and not have to get caught up in the insanity of the things that I didn't.  Now, this may seem close minded, but hear me out.  I didn't admonish these "friends" because we didn't agree politically, I unfollowed them because they had no hope, and their outlook of gloom was becoming contagious!

See, I still believe in that silly thing called hope - and not hope in flawed humans.  I believe that things can always be worse, and that often times these issues are only tiny ripples in time.  What I noticed about all of these people was not their political views, but that they lacked hope.  They lacked the ability to see good.  They spent all day focusing on the bad and then felt the need to "share" their misery with everyone else!  You know who I am talking about... the ones who are cynical, skeptical, and live in despair.  Ultimately, I agree with a lot of what these people say, but, I have hope for better.  I realize that sharing articles and raging against the world online is not the solution.

My life has not been all unicorns and rainbows.  I have been through and seen a lot - personally and as a member of a large family who I suffer right beside.  Together we have experienced cancer, divorce, death, drug addiction, infertility, prison, infidelity, depression, division, disagreement, legal issues and the list goes on. 

Staying positive is not easy in this life, for ANYONE.  Just because you are rich does not mean you don't have problems and just because you are poor doesn't mean you have more.  All along, I have found something inside of me that has enabled me to remain positive, bright, smiley, and even a little naive.  It is called hope.

Here are a few ways that YOU can cultivate HOPE next time life gets crazy:

1.  Document your growth.  Each time I face a period of hopelessness, the outlook seems pretty bad, but I get through!  When it is over, looking back is important.  Look back and think about what you see.  Who were you in that time?  Who are you now?  How have you changed?  Grown?  I can tell you times in my life where something happened and I thought I was going to DIE.  As soon as the storm cleared, I looked back and the message was as clear as day.  My biggest lessons have been on pride, perfection, and trust.  Nearly EVERY trial in my life has revealed these three themes to me as things that I need to work on.  We all have our baggage, but the TRUE meaning of this life is to GROW.  What is this life trying to teach you about yourself?  Remember, character is forged in the fire of tribulation.

2.  Secondly, take some inventory.  After the tragedy, what is left?  In the history of the world, no one has truly lost EVERYTHING.  Make a list of what you still have that gives you joy.  Rest your hope in those things.  If I lost my job, my home, and my dog, I would find hope in still having my family, more time, and less chores!  This is what I mean by finding HOPE.  If you find yourself hiding in your house watching the news and reading about politics, STOP.  Turn it off and take some inventory, what do you still have.  Invest in that.

3.  Reflect.  Surely, this is not the first time that you have suffered.  And it likely won't be the last.  How did you handle yourself last time?  Did you survive? (of course) What did you feel like during that time?  How do you feel now?  These are all questions to reflect on.  This is where keeping a daily journal really helps.   The reason that I have found so much peace and hope is because I look back on times when I felt it was all going to come crashing down, and then saw how that mess fell perfectly together into a new beginning.  Writing my struggles AND blessings gives me a sense of peace, a sense of calm, and most of all a sense of HOPE that this is not the end, only the beginning!

If you haven't already, give our journals a try!  They are truly the most beautiful little things and the format that I have created will help you cultivate a life full of hope!

As this school year comes to an end, I am finding hope in our future through my students.  I see them working hard and forging into the next phase of their life with zeal, perseverance, and focus!