Reaching For Hope As We Enter The New Year
As we wrap up our last month of 2019 and the end to our year of working toward being abundantly connected, our final focus this year and month is reaching for hope. With our goal to help caregivers identify their strengths, our anticipation was that it increased their confidence to see that anything is possible when one chooses hope.
“When the world says, “give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.” While we may not be able to change a caregiver’s situation, we try to get the caregiver to focus on changing their mindset.
A mindset shift can make a world of difference and can help a caregiver reach a place where they are not just surviving their situation, but thriving within it. It’s an approach that fosters empowerment, self-awareness, and an emotional connection.
Fighting the Feedback Loop of Negativity
Positive psychology uses an approach that helps the caregiver become happier and more fulfilled. Caregiving can sometimes create a feedback loop of negativity, Hope Grows fosters nonjudgmental interactions, which helps the caregiver reach for hope and pull the weeds in their garden, so that the flowers can flourish.
This approach restores faith and belief that they can get through tomorrow, which in turn increases hope.
Martin Luther King once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” An example of this was when my father was dying of pancreatic cancer. I was unable to change the fact that my dad’s illness was terminal, but I could and did change my outlook of hope, it helped me to focus on the good that he brought to my life.
Instead of feeling sad during the remainder of his time, I found a higher purpose and used my personal strengths to create a video of his journey through life and shared it with him, for one final goodbye. I put an emphasis on his life not his death, I found the strength to create happiness in the time that was left and found a place for hope to thrive.
I still knew the outcome was death and that it was going to leave me feeling grief-stricken and sad, but I accepted the finite state of his condition and never lost sight of the good.
Identifying Personal Strengths
At Hope Grows, we instill hope through our mission by connecting and deepening a caregiver’s support system and helping them to identify personal strengths. By planting a sense of optimism for caregivers to be able to get through the day/week/month, we thrive on the belief that reaching for hope is not only important, but it is a necessity to flourish despite any feelings of discouragement.
Take this season of perpetual hope and if you find yourself struggling, implement some gratitude exercises. When we stay thankful and shift our focus on being abundantly connected, our happiness and genuine fulfillment in life increases, all of which can help us see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. As we transition to the New Year, everyone hear at Hope Grows wishes you a safe and happy holiday season.