HOPE

Over these past few weeks with the imminent wave of restrictions hovering over us and finally arriving, through this challenging era we find ourselves in..

Collective stresses and personal stress.

What is it that gives us the ability to get through?

“Hope” comes to mind,

facing the uncertainties that have blown their way into our lives of late..

Poses the question do we give up hope? Hope for a solution, hope for a better day?

Lifting the heavy mental weight thrust upon us that societal changes have brought, world pandemic and the

irrational behaviours..conflicting information, all kinds of opinions coming left right and center.

The bombardment of social media news feeds..overloaded with information, perceived or literal thwarted attempts at our freedom..irritations wrecking the minds of many.

Our hope then wavering in the wind like a branch ready to break..

This new dawning of the masses, brings conscious changes , challenges and confusion through disheartening cycles of starts and stops, effecting each and everyone of us, the experience of these highs and lows also begins to change our view of the world, what was the world we knew before this Virus? And who are we now?

Who in this aftermath will we be?

Our new world shaken and recreated.. Our world manifesting through our personal filters.

This hidden evolvement moving through us like an undercurrent..questions a lot?

The now madness amplified, the unjust highlighted issues that flood our screens day in and day out,

What an exhausting experience! and yes it is.. 2020...what a sh*show and we are sick of it!

Least we mention again the dirty word “virus it really has pulled at our strings of hope, the disbelief, beckoning frustrations, testing the limits of tolerance upon us.

So now we have acknowledged the crap getting it out of the way, let’s ponder..

Amid all this... there is something deep down we run to in times of disbelief...it runs through us all at what only seems a tiny thread, but a truly powerful aspect.

This is a thread of HOPE ,

A powerful little thought that echoes within, can move and create many miracles, some may say " this is our psychology?

A survival technique? or is it a deeper knowledge... a higher power of spirit?

Even in the most distressing times we can gather and coil that thread that gives us hope, like a life ring holding us and pulling us to safety,

Hope that there is always a better day tomorrow, a hope of new beginning..a hope of change..

We can work with this by continually asking and checking in with ourselves, what are we hoping for? can this hope take us down to the road of gratitude?

the ultimate reality.. journeying us on to realisations of dreams and hopeful changes we may wish to make?

Of course it can..

When we are struggling with depression and anxiety, it’s hard..life is difficult, motivation is zero and the will to live is tested..but there is a strong sign in this..

Only going into and beyond that itself,

we may begin to see our way clearer and begin to see what that sign actually is.

Unfortunately some sadly miss this opportunity in their life,

Negative situations in life often bring us to the edge of something..

To point or highlight something we need to look at or change?

It is an “opportunity..one disguised at times and not an “easy one.

“But easy often never reveals what is nessersary for change.

When this thread of hope becomes severed a little each time as we experience life‘s challenges..

We must learn to turn our focus and tend to that thread by keeping it intact, connecting with all things that give us hope..

weaving our strength around it again and again forever keeping that pure thread of life alive,

learning each time to strengthen each fibre, weaving and binding It to wholeness.

HOPE IS REAL

This is what I refer to as

“BUILDING OUR SPIRITUAL IMMUNE SYSTEM” akin to our biological immune system in our child years.

Every break and fall expands an unlimited resource of strength we never really knew existed until it’s door has been kicked down broken open revealing its hidden kingdom.

When we are low, mentally and emotionally burnt out, we really are on the last thread. We feel like we are drowning and it’s hard..life feels difficult. This is where we may need help through those breaks and falls by tending to our trauma or torments and get the help we need by reaching out..there is no shame in this as this is strength, hopeful that we then can be reminded of our ability to get through and beyond to unearth that unlimited power within.

This thread is what connects us in life and to our fellow souls..

Invisible energy that binds us to this earthly experience,

In times of stress we really question what we have to hope for,

but hope can be contagious,

if your with family, a friend/loved ones in your lockdown bubble, or talking to a Therapist/counsellor

You can still discuss hopes and dreams..they are yours..they are valid and they are real..most of all not restricted.

To allow a practice of this strengthens that energy..

the energy of hope..

We all have this ability to practice hope, to be hopeful doesn’t require as much energy as you’d imagine.

Hope that each new day is beginning.. each morning you wake, every day is new and with that brings fresh hope..this can allow natural curiosity to take hold, leading the exploration of life without the belief to limit yourself, this can allow you to really sense that you are part of the grand scheme,

the whole universe and it loves you..

You can choose hopeful outcomes, these may be the very catalyst that drives you on to those goals and dreams.

So how do we practice hope?

how do we lift our spirit to feel more hopeful , strengthening our resolve and resilience abilities?

Ask yourself what did you hope as a child? think about the positive memories of that? What did you dream and hope for in your child years?

What did those playground discussions reveal when you knew in your heart you were going to be an astronaut or a superhero etc?

What other hopes were fulfilled in those innocent memories, those moments that you recall, that lightness of all your hopes and dreams...

When you got that silce of cake or your favourite ice cream?

This aspect of you still lives wound within that thread, like your DNA woven through your body...

tend to this dream of hope and allow yourself to daydream...

what hopes can you achieve?

grow them into real aspirations...

Use this time..

Not all hopes are fantasy..for every time we are hopeful we light those creative fires within, allowing something unattainable to become real, fanning the flames of creativity,

lighting the zest for life and living..

FOR WITHOUT HOPE WE ARE NOTHING.

Dogs are classic example of hope, have you ever watched a dog always hoping food is going to fall off the table! the hope of attention or treats...they never give up hope and never give in , not to hope doesn’t exist...

For them it is real and they continue to be hopeful always..

When you see the goodness of humanitarian deeds and see beautiful stories of hope, acknowledgement of this registers and pulls at that thread within, it pulls the heart strings, strengthens and affirms that deep routed belief that “hope is real..

this for sure has happened to you...

While many of us are in dire situations some worse than others, we can evaluate our life and experiences in the hope that change is always close, as nothing stays the same, we must loosen that thread at times so to allow ourselves freedom not to be tied to outcomes but be fluid with our hopes and dreams.

This is where the magic is and in all of us there is magic , remember the soul who you were as that child?

the different roles you have experienced in life up to now?

How did you get through them all?

Look at what you did, how you managed and coped?

And guaranteed you will again...Hope is real...

Ways to encourage hope in yourself and others...

* Discuss your hopes with someone who values your conversation.

*Touch base with the dreamers of this world, those friends who bring out the hopeful aspirations in you.

Talk about your plans and dreams ahead.

*Talk with children, they view the the world with hope , they can inspire you too.

If you have no one around to do this..look up stories of hope, real life experiences, videos..discussion.

*Mindful practice is everywhere, there is no right or wrong way to practice, it’s literally being present,

so look out a window, be mindful of the sky, nature, the birds whatever it is you see, look at it and be in that moment, it can be anything in your life, you can apply Mindfulness to Anything!

-breath is a brilliant way, by bringing your attention to your own breathing you are in the practice of mindfulness.

- A plant/flower is a brilliant way to practice, by looking at it around it and it’s colour.

*Comedy, practising a daily intake of comedy, silly stupidity that creates a belly laugh. Videos, old comedy, movies etc creating your own silliness = Lightness.

By laughing at comedy you are in that present mindful moment.

God bless the entertainers for without the silly and the funny we are nothing. Make it your mission to seek out what makes you laugh or find out what your humour style is. This lifts us and makes us hopeful.

*Misery is habitual..the more we practice it the more we become stuck in our misery..and sometimes people love the misery of being miserable...only because they are stuck...fearful, mentally programmed to it and have closed the door to hope.

HOPE gives us the key to unlock that door and leave misery behind..

There is always hope within that ..change is possible.

“MAY YOUR CHOICES REFLECT YOUR HOPES NOT YOUR FEARS

Nelson Mandela

Those who are really struggling know deep in your heart that hope can override so much more than you know...the biggest prison we live in.. is that of the mind.

So give hope a chance and know that tomorrow can be a better day.

Live & Hope

Amanda Jane ©️ 2020.

Images taken from wix.