{"id":1639,"date":"2011-03-07T14:44:29","date_gmt":"2011-03-07T20:44:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.womens-spirituality.com\/?p=1639"},"modified":"2011-03-07T14:44:29","modified_gmt":"2011-03-07T20:44:29","slug":"hope-is-the-tool-of-choice-for-the-grateful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.womens-spirituality.com\/?p=1639","title":{"rendered":"Hope is the tool of choice for the grateful. . ."},"content":{"rendered":"

We can begin to cultivate hope in ourselves and others by\u00a0acknowledging the many people who are on our path by intention. By\u00a0acknowledge, I mean to really look into the eyes of the many who\u00a0surround you. No one is \u201cthere\u201d accidentally. No one! \u00a0When we embrace that awareness, the fear we so easily let fester \u00a0in unfamiliar circumstances, diminishes. \u00a0 <\/span><\/span>There is no way to initiate hope when fear lingers at the edge of <\/span>our mind. The simple recognition that wherever we are is where we <\/span>have been called to be can change our mood and expectations and <\/span>suspend our disbelief.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of us have struggled with fear at some point in our lives. \u00a0I was\u00a0controlled by it for more than three decades. I grew up in a family <\/span>where anger and depression were prevalent. Early in my recovery, <\/span>my father, a bank officer, told me that every day of his life he had <\/span>been scared that he might make an error at work that would cost the <\/span>bank embarrassment, financial loss, or worse. How sad his life was. <\/span><\/p>\n

I <\/span>realized during that discussion how my father had set in motion the <\/span>\u201cimprinting\u201d I\u2019d been controlled by for more than three decades. <\/span>My fear-based upbringing drove me to drink, to cling, to abuse <\/span>others, and, on more than one occasion, to contemplate suicide.<\/span><\/p>\n

From childhood on, I kept suicide tucked away in my back pocket\u00a0as a possible solution for my seemingly undiminishable fear. The <\/span>thought of suicide as a way out never frightened me. It comforted <\/span>me, in fact. My fear tired me greatly. <\/span>I didn\u2019t think life would ever really feel or look any different, and that <\/span>was okay. But then, at my lowest point, I met a woman, an \u201cangel\u201d <\/span>I\u2019m sure, who changed my mind. She explained my fear to me\u2014what <\/span>it meant and how to let it go. She gave it a name: chemicalization<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since that day I have never looked back.\u00a0Now if I wake up a bit edgy or unsure of my direction (which <\/span>happens only occasionally now), I turn to one of the suggestions on <\/span>the following list. They are simple but to the point. And they free <\/span>me. Any one of them can allow me to start the day again, without <\/span>fear. Because it works for me, I offer them to you. No one should <\/span>live in a state of constant fear. No one should live in fear for an hour <\/span>or even a moment. We need not do it. Ever. Give any one of these <\/span>suggestions a try and feel the new you. \u00a0I promise immediate results <\/span>and a hopeful heart!<\/span><\/p>\n

Simple things we can do now to change our perceptions and become <\/em>more hopeful.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022 Ask God or your Higher Power for help.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Let go!<\/p>\n

\u2022 Surrender.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Do one thing to inspire joy in someone else\u2019s life each day. Make\u00a0a note of this in a small notebook.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Choose kindness in all encounters; feel it change your heart.<\/p>\n

\u2022 When feeling hopeless, choose a fond memory to change your\u00a0perception. Keep a \u201clist\u201d of fond memories \u00a0 \u00a0handy for just such <\/span>a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Make a gratitude list to help you recall the good that has already\u00a0happened. Update it frequently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Praying for others will change your heart. Begin each day with a\u00a0prayer for someone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Peaceful acts create more hope in ourselves and others. Make\u00a0your first action of the day loving and kind. Perhaps it\u2019s as simple <\/span>as a smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Using a gentle voice can create more hope in ourselves and\u00a0others, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Embrace change. God or your Higher Power is present to help. In\u00a0fact, God or your Higher Power offered the change as a invitation <\/span>for more growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Welcome \u201cevery messenger.\u201d We both have volunteered for the\u00a0lesson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Honor all others who cross your path in tiny ways.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The universe would shift if every one of us walked away from one\u00a0argument every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Remember: Whatever is happening is part of your own unique\u00a0planning, tailor-made for the journey you have selected to <\/span>experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 And lastly, remember: If you<\/em> are still alive, you<\/em> have not yet completed\u00a0the purpose for which you<\/em> were born. Go forth into this day eagerly.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We can begin to cultivate hope in ourselves and others by\u00a0acknowledging the many people who are on our path by intention. By\u00a0acknowledge, I mean to really look into the eyes of the many who\u00a0surround you. No one is \u201cthere\u201d accidentally. No one! \u00a0When we embrace that awareness, the fear we so easily let fester \u00a0in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-circle-of-family-and-friends-you-and-your-personal-community","category-your-experience-strength-and-hope"],"yoast_head":"\nHope is the tool of choice for the grateful. . . | Karen Casey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.womens-spirituality.com\/?p=1639\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hope is the tool of choice for the grateful. . . | Karen Casey\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We can begin to cultivate hope in ourselves and others by\u00a0acknowledging the many people who are on our path by intention. 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