Some days, let’s be honest, some weeks, I feel just plain down.
Sometimes I would even go as far as calling this feeling hopeless.
There are times I feel stuck and can’t find a way out for the life of me. To help myself limit these experiences and keep them from taking over my life, my mood, and my actions, I have begun to put into practice the habit of hunting for hope and inspiration everywhere. This practice has changed my life and I know it will change yours too.
Here’s how to implement it for yourself:
1. Open your eyes to the possibility.
First, you must open your metaphorical (and physical) eyes to the possibility there is good in the world and there is hope for something better. This allows your mind to accept the good things you hear and see.
2. Seek it out – Treasure hunt
Once you have realized there is hope and inspiration to be found, you can begin to search for it. Nature is one of the easiest places for me to find inspiration because I can see so much beauty and because it stirs emotions deep inside. I love seeing the glory of a new day dawning. The sunrise reminds me that each day is the start of something completely new and fresh. I can leave everything behind and start over today.
These are some of the other places I find hope and inspiration…
- Phrases in a great song.
“…maybe it’s all right if I’m not all right ‘cause the one who holds the stars is holding my whole life…”
We are Messengers
- A character in a book or movie that overcomes something difficult, like Mrs. Maisel. Read what I think about her.
- A great podcast like Don’t Keep Your Day Job by Cathy Heller. She reminds me, “I Am Enough” and that I can monitize my dreams.
- The verse of the day or a great reading plan from the You Version App.
- Follow a good Instagram like @positivelypresent or @fablifenow.
How many things can you find that bring you
3. Engage in things that amplify the good.
When it is hope and inspiration you need, spend time with people who are inspirational and who speak hope and life. There is nothing that will sap your hope more than someone who reminds you of every negative thing in life and every challenge they face.
Find a cause or charity that inspires you and volunteer your time. Nothing amplifies good more than doing some good yourself. It will lift your spirits and your outlook
4. Know the things that feed your soul, then feed it often.
This is similar to Treasure Hunting in Step 2, but it is a little different. Once you start hunting for hope on a regular basis, you will discover some key places where you find what inspires you.
Now that you know the key places, begin to recognize when you need to visit those places. For me, I need to “go to” my inspirational places when my kids are away from me and I begin to feel lonely. I also need to go there when I have difficult communication with their father.
I know these things can often trigger a sense of hopelessness, so that is when I know it is time to feed my soul. I turn on my Amazon Music and have Alexa play a channel with my favorite inspirational songs. I listen to one of my podcasts. I open my You Version App and read through an inspirational devotional plan. This fills me up before I feel that sense of hopelessness.
If I spend some time listening to and doing these things daily then it is less likely for me to go to that hopeless place when those triggers happen.
5. Intentionally place inspiration where you will see it.
When I find a poem, verse, or quote that fills my senses with the hope and inspiration I need, I place it somewhere I will see it often. I might leave it there for a week or a month, then I change it to something that I need next.
There are several places I put my inspiration of choice. I will tape a print above my desk at work or in my home office. I sometimes write a message on my bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker, so I see it each time I look in the mirror. I also like to change the wallpaper on my phone to something that I need to read and remember every day.
If you intentionally fill your life with hope and inspiration, you will find you begin to live in it. There will be less worry and more hope and more steps in moving your life forward.
What inspires you? Where do you find the encouragement you need when you are feeling low? Please share below, or better yet, join our Facebook Community and enter the discussion and supportive environment there.
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