Hope is the one emotion that has the power to bring you up from a place of complete despair. Even the tiniest flicker of it can spark a sense of desire, energy and interest in places that seem dark or dreary. It is the hope that things will get better that allows us to endure, even during the most trying of times. And whether it’s a flicker or a flame, hope is the place from where pleasurable emotions like love, happiness and appreciation are born. So, how can we tune into this powerful emotion and use it to make our life better?
Hope isn’t something that can be commanded or forced. You must allow yourself to open to the feeling. Our lives are a culmination of the choices we have made based on the options that we were able to see for ourselves at the time. It is only when we look beyond the ordinary that we open the space for the extraordinary. Though you may not be able to imagine the exact steps necessary to make life better, you can always tune into the excitement at the very thought that it could be better.
We all have that little voice in our heads. The one that tells us what we can or can’t do. We are so accustomed to hearing this voice that often the story it tells us gets mistaken for truth. What you believe is possible for you is a result of the story you have been telling yourself. What has happened has resulted in where you are right now, but it does not dictate where you have to stay. If you want something different for your life you must tell the story of where you want to be. You will know that it is a story that is aligned with the life you want if you feel that little tingle of hope.
The reason why we do anything is because we believe it will make us feel better. Our emotions are the driving force behind everything we do. If the story you tell yourself about your life leaves you feeling like things could be better, then this is not your story! Tell a different story, one that softens the discomfort and brings you ease. Close your eyes and imagine how you would feel if you had what you were wanting. Take a deep breath and appreciate how good it feels to imagine what it will be like, even if you can hold that feeling for only a brief second. Being able to see beyond the way that things are, even momentarily, gives birth to hope.
The stories that we tell ourselves both affect the way we feel and shape what we believe to be possible for our lives. The choices we make and the opportunities we take are all in response to our story. Your life is unfolding in accordance with what you allow yourself to believe to be possible. It is hope that ignites the possibility of the creation of the extraordinary.
“Your life is unfolding in accordance with what you allow yourself to believe to be possible.” – Dr. Julie
Copyright Dr. Julie Doobay 2024
