Some seasons in our lives will be more difficult than others. In these moments, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture and lose sight of hope. This is also when we should work the hardest to hold on to our hope and our faith regardless of where our faith may lie. When times are good, we start to ride a wave of positivity without even really trying – we simply continue to ride the wave until all of a sudden, it crashes and we feel like we are dragged down with it. When that occurs, we lose the tide that has kept us moving forward, but that does not mean that we cannot learn to keep moving forward in a different way. We must remember that we most can most certainly come off the wave and learn to move towards our goals in a way that does not depend solely on the tide.
When the wave crashes, we are forced to find our strength in ourselves without the force of the tide. We realize that we have to find a way to be hopeful and optimistic in a way that does not let our situation prescribe our emotional state. Being positive, optimistic, and hopeful does not entail being unrealistic about our situation or negating our emotions without taking the time to process them. On the contrary – it simply means that we can process our emotions by guiding our hearts and our minds to see the bigger picture and recognize that no matter our circumstances, we have so much to live for and so much to be grateful for. Miracles happen every day and they always lie in the details of our daily lives and often go unnoticed. Our duty is thus to open up our eyes wide enough to be able to recognize them. Miracles lie in things as simple as a hug from a loved one, the taste of your favorite dish, the sounds of your favorite song, the comfort of your favorite blanket, a sunny day, or a cozy, rainy one. The world gives us plenty to enjoy and we should be open to receiving all it has to offer us and using that to anchor our hope.
Nevertheless, we must always remember that our greatest strength is our ability to not only rely on ourselves or on nature but rather our ability to rely on each other. We must always remember that we as humans are social beings and our hope lies in our relationships above all. Our well-being, our health, our happiness, our success, and our hope all depend on how well we do together and how well we take care of each other. There are always people willing to provide support and there is no shame in this because it is quite literally how we are wired. Ultimately, the way to hold onto hope is to appreciate the miracles in our daily lives, practice gratitude, and learn to take care of one another. Following these general principles, no matter how hard times get, no matter when the wave finally crashes, we will learn to ride out any situation and keep moving forward.
