Your Daily Dose of Hope

The book Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us was a fascinating read and it helped me understand the benefits of creating and consuming art. It's not just for experts either. No matter our skill level, we can get the brain benefits, lower stress and more when we engage our creative side. Quote from the book: Magsamen and Ross offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project for as little as forty-five minutes reduces the stress hormone cortisol, no matter your skill level, and just one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years.

We've all done it. We carry fears, anger, and past disappointments with us when we don't have to. We drag them around like reviewing past moments of disappointment will somehow make things better or help us make better decisions. What they really do - keep us from moving forward. All of this got me thinking about what a bucket of hope might look like. What if we carried that around with us? What if we depended on that when we were having a bad day, or ran into an obstacle. I'm not talking about painting a happy face on challenges that need our focus, but some days go off the rails when we see an unkind post on social media or when we're on day 9 of gray skies and rain and dipping into our bucket of hope could be helpful. Check out what's in the bucket.

I have a confession about gratitude - for a long time, I just couldn't connect being thankful with being hopeful. Yes, of course I'm thankful. For all the things. Somewhere along the way things got a bit muddled. Was I thankful that chemo made my husband cancer free, yes but I can't honestly say I was thankful for the actual process and side effects that came with it. Who would be? Was I thankful he made it, of course, but part of me also wondered why he had cancer in the first place. That wasn't fair, right? That's why I want to talk about gratitude today - especially as it relates to hope and hopefulness.

When researching the concept of hope, I knew I'd need to see what researcher and author Brene Brown had to say on the subject. In her book Atlas of the Heart she declares "We need hope like we need air." She explains that hope is not a warm, fuzzy emotion rather it's a way of thinking. A cognitive process. An experience that combines 3 elements, goals, pathways and agency.

Today I am sharing something I learned from friends O'tion and V. They are two amazing humans who teach people how to heal trauma using what they call SIT which stands for Subconscious Imprinting Technique. Amazing humans doing amazing work. In one of their emails a few months ago they used the word hope as an acronym. H O P E standing for Help One Person Everyday. I loved it then and it's stuck with me. Most of us know that helping others is worthwhile and rewarding. Paying it forward is often used to describe our actions of kindness and generosity - that don't expect any sort of reciprocation or even acknowledgment. We do good, because we want to feel good and now we know there's science that proves why it literally feels good to help others.

What if you are here for just this moment? What if everything I’ve learned, experienced, studied and shared What if the total life experience to this point is what you needed to bring you this very moment? And what if this moment is here in front of us because we’re meant to do the thing, make an impact, be a friend, solve a problem, cure heartache, to be the neighbor others can depend on or the leader others need to show them the way? What if that’s the point?

Hope is one of the foundations of our world And what’s even better is that hope isn’t just something we can have, it’s also something that we can give. Hear the 5 Stages of Hope and how they can help you recognize how you can cultivate and nurture hope.

"The future is an infinite succession of presents", and to live now as we think human being should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory. There's a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, and most of us would say that it's not all bad, there is good in the world to be sure. But there are problems that feel so big - so overwhelming - it's no surprise we wonder if being hopeful is possible. Quote by Howard Zinn

This is the first episode and since it’s dropping on MLK day I thought it was only right to begin with one of his quotes. Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. Martin Luther King, Jr. This quote always gives me hope and encouragement. Life is unpredictable, and despite our best efforts to control circumstances and outcomes we can often find ourselves feeling uncertain. It doesn’t feel good to be unsure and many of us will stop ourselves from taking action just to avoid uncertainty. It’s uncomfortable to be uncomfortable and in an effort to avoid feeling that way, we often resist doing something that’s going to move us forward, and help us feel better. Today, I'm reminded by Dr. King's words that action is almost always the way forward. Do what you know to do, take the first next step no matter how small or insignificant it may feel. Even if that step is asking for help, you’re moving forward. Often, if we’re truly honest with ourselves, we can identify at least one action to take.

Your Daily Dose of Hope Start your day with inspiration, positivity, and practical wisdom on Your Daily Dose of Hope. Each episode is a brief, uplifting journey designed to empower you to face life's challenges with resilience and optimism. From heartwarming stories and motivational insights to actionable tips for personal growth, we bring you the encouragement you need to thrive. Whether you're navigating tough times or just looking to add a little brightness to your day, Your Daily Dose of Hope is here to remind you that better days are always ahead. Tune in daily for your much-needed spark of hope!