Seeing Just the "Hope" In Your Hopelessness

Many times we find our self so broken after a tragic event. It becomes difficult for us to cope, or to find ourselves out the hopelessness of our situation. These are times when we must learn to refocus. Meaning, change the way we are looking at the things that are affecting our lives and take an inventory of what needs to stay, and what needs to go.

Even more important, we have to give ourselves some permissions:

1. Permission to take some time out to just pray and commune with God, to find peace and hope in hopelessness.
2. Permission to take the steps necessary to move towards the life that fills you with joy
3. Permission to love yourself unconditionally and ask for help when you need it.  It will be hard to ask for help, but do it anyway..
4. Permission to rid ourselves of any excess baggage in our life that is weighing us down, whether that baggage is a family member, friend, job, a bill, whatever, it is, get rid of it.
5. Permission to lose some phone numbers of people who only call when they need something, and are very draining, lose their number
6. Permission to tell people holding us back that they cannot go with us any further on our journey. Listen to the voice that comes from your heart. That voice knows you. That voice will guide you.
7. Permission to do something good for yourself daily, learn something new, go back to school, do something for someone else, etc.
8. Permission to be happy despite what life and others are saying. Give your time, talent, and treasure to those who need your gifts. Turn your attention to someone else and you’ll create hope for them and for you.
9. Permission to take some quiet time for self reflection and self-care when the noise of life get too loud in your head.
10. Permission to do something nice for yourself - take a mini vacation, go to a movie, treat yourself to dinner, do something you always wanted to do, just enjoy life.
11. Permission to thank yourself - look in the mirror and thank yourself for being good enough to yourself, to take back your life. 
12. Permission to keep an open heart and be ready for hope to surprise you. Do not live in fear. Instead, choose to live with hope. Fear and worry will always come creeping in your door, but do not open the door and give then a seat in your life.

Finally, there is great benefit in  hoping. When you feel broken, that is because you have lost hope. However, if you can see the hope in what you see as a hopeless situation, hope  will let you redefine your life and with your new found hope you will gain  health, strength. and see a new meaning to life. However, you have to apply self-care. Let hope heal you. Let hope change you and let hope let you change the world.

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