Whenever a panic attack comes upon me
I try to remind myself that it’s just anxiety
and will calm down in time . . .
I try to breathe through it,
but every time
I also hear a little voice that says,
”it always went away before,
but that doesn’t mean it will end this time.”
It’s very hard for me to believe in hope
when all hope is gone.
One winter,
many years ago,
I was inconsolably depressed
and stood outside with the bare, black trees,
the creak of icicles breaking,
and the sound of falling snow
in the dank, dark mud of late winter..
It seemed that winter had lasted an eternity,
and I had one of those split-second moments
that don’t give you time to think . . .
”it always went away before,
but that doesn’t mean it will end this time.”
These moments are really terrifying.
They grab me by the throat,
and shake up my whole perception of reality
(and I don’t trust ‘reality’ all that much to start out with).
I don’t live with stable ground under my feet . . .
my brother used to say,
“we’re all hangin’ by a thread you know;
our lives can change on a dime.”
And he was right.
My husband could be driving home from work
and get killed in a head on collision . . .
it happens all the time.
I could be shot while buying groceries at Aldi’s.
The scenarios are endless and eternal,
especially if you have an active imagination like I do.
Thankfully,
other voices began to speak to me
and I discovered one of my most solid beliefs now,
even when I falter,
is that no matter what happens
all will be well.
I can’t hope that things will be the way I want them to be,
or that they’ll go back to the way they were before,
but I can know
deep within my being,
that all will be well.
Julian of Norwich
gave me this Gift . . .
the other voices
have just coloured it in a rainbow of song.
I just need to stay brave enough
to see the story out. ♥
Carol, I’m certainly with you. Being a learner helps me see the entire chestboard from many different angles. One area of interest I’ve gotten more into lately is entrepreneurship. The stars have led to me creating my own “Loc Down” brand.
The purpose of my brand is to encourage others to just be themselves. Putting myself out there is one of the ways I feel like I’m giving, because I’m allowing my energy to radiate. Defense, protection, and adaptability are the pillers. The 8W9 ennielgram type best aligns with my brand.
8W9s are like bears. They appear dominant with soft insides. Their dominance is being used to look out for and protect those they care. Their softer side is earned. When they show us their softer side, it’s real and really comes out. There’s great value in it. 8W9s have a strong basic desire for autonomy.
I find hope in the many ways humans come together to care for each other and for our planet, even when things are as dark as they are on our national scene. Food banks, trash pick-up days, the refugee women’s organization I donate to, musicians who visit schools, land trusts that preserve critical habitat–so many examples I couldn’t possibly list them all. Years ago I read Rebecca Solnit’s “Hope in the Dark,” a wonderful reminder of the many ways we continue to progress toward the good even when we have setbacks.
This weekend in a used bookstore I picked up a book I ended up not buying and now I’m regretting that. I did take a picture of the cover to remind myself, and an extended quotation that struck me. It fits this question. The book is Letters to a Young Activist by Todd Gitlin, modeled on Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet. It has a political flavor; please excuse that if it creates resistance. I think everyone who posts here can relate to the majority of this. It’s in the same spirit as Solnit’s book, with a reminder of what we’ve achieved pushing for things to get better.
“What would the world be without the agitators? The great ideals wouldn’t stand a chance. The radiant goals that conservatives hope to conserve were not and could not have been achieved by conservatives. As if the Confederacy abolished slavery. As if the eight-hour day, the minimum wage, social security, public funding for medical care and higher education, clean water, rainforests and species preserved were ideas dreamed up by corporations, politicians and governments. As if the federal bureaucracy and pharmaceutical companies all by themselves, of their own good will, without benefit of a raging activist movement, put anti-AIDS drugs into the hands of millions of infected people. It’s obvious when you think about it, but neglected in the conservatives’ self-congratulations: without the disrupters, campaigners and ideological pests, all the noble words would amount to nothing but blackboard dust. This is not to justify any activity undertaken in the name of activism. It is to state a plain historical truth: no noise, no improvement. Activism as such is not sufficient for improvement, but damned if it isn’t necessary.”
Solidarity. Solidarity gives me hope in dark times.
This quote,
dear Barb,
should be typed up,
printed,
and dropped in leaflets all over the country . . .
in church parking lots,
parks,
tucked under car windshields,
and pasted in shop windows.
It seems to me that lots of different people and groups, from many different cultures and religious and non-religious backgrounds, are saying a similar thing along these lines, “we need to have a collective awakening and wake up to the beauty and preciousness of life as it is. We need to recognize who we really are, our potential as human beings and our connection on and dependence on everything else.” So it gives me hope to think that maybe all these different groups might grow and connect more and more.
Perspective. Darkness likes to pretend it is omniscient and forever. But the world is made of darkness and light and all shades in between. Sometimes I fixate on darkness, sometimes people peddle darkness, sometimes I have to crawl through the darkness to see where the light is. But it’s always there.
You are right,
of course,
dear Drea . . .
my situation,
is that I can be so overcome with the darkness
that the little voice in the back of my head
says,
“there was always light in the past,
but who’s to say it’s going to be at the end of this tunnel”
And sometimes
I come very close to believing it.
You give me hope,
dear one. ♥
Thank you Sparrow. It’s funny, darkness has the quality of persuasion, of suffocation … and light doesn’t do that. Darkness wants to keep concealing. So of course it tries again and again to convince us this time the darkness is absolute. It doesn’t want us to see the new things the light will reveal. Sending love to you.
What gives me hope, when I feel hopeless?
That’s a hard one. I have been hopeless, and I try not to fall into hopelessness again. Reminding myself that right now, in this moment, I am okay. I have what I need and more. There are people that count on me and there are people I can turn to and be honest about how I am feeling. People that understand what it feels like to lose hope.
I am taking a break from the news right now. I may have over done it and consumed too much and was feeling pretty hopeless about our current national situation. In these situations, I have to look out for my own mental health and practice some self care.
That’s it, getting back to my practice of yoga, meditation, physical activity, and staying connected, is what helps keeps hope alive in me. It’s a re-centering of sorts.
Charlie, I turned the news (fear porn) off a few years ago & have never been happier. In my opinion it is designed to keep us in a constant state of fear. I prefer to be happy.
Good luck on your journey of no news. ♥️🕊️
Watching the news too much,
dear Charlie,
does send me into a tailspin too,
because I can see very clearly
the direction this country is heading,
and I begin to lose hope.
Reminding of Julian of Norwich’s famous quote,
“sin is inevitable, but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
calls me to realize
that no matter how this all turns out
all will be well,
perhaps in a different way than I can envision,
but ALL WILL BE WELL.
This helps me
when I am at the brink. ♥
Yes, good self care. When feeling hopeless I feel like skipping self care. But each bit of care soothes the soul. I just have to be mindful enough to remember to care for myself.
Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.
Slowing down makes me feel human and hopeful.
The Divine & my belief in a higher power, prayer.
Mother Nature.
Staying active, walking, yoga…
Music always.
Laughter.
The great outdoors.
🕊️♥️
Whenever a panic attack comes upon me
I try to remind myself that it’s just anxiety
and will calm down in time . . .
I try to breathe through it,
but every time
I also hear a little voice that says,
”it always went away before,
but that doesn’t mean it will end this time.”
It’s very hard for me to believe in hope
when all hope is gone.
One winter,
many years ago,
I was inconsolably depressed
and stood outside with the bare, black trees,
the creak of icicles breaking,
and the sound of falling snow
in the dank, dark mud of late winter..
It seemed that winter had lasted an eternity,
and I had one of those split-second moments
that don’t give you time to think . . .
”it always went away before,
but that doesn’t mean it will end this time.”
These moments are really terrifying.
They grab me by the throat,
and shake up my whole perception of reality
(and I don’t trust ‘reality’ all that much to start out with).
I don’t live with stable ground under my feet . . .
my brother used to say,
“we’re all hangin’ by a thread you know;
our lives can change on a dime.”
And he was right.
My husband could be driving home from work
and get killed in a head on collision . . .
it happens all the time.
I could be shot while buying groceries at Aldi’s.
The scenarios are endless and eternal,
especially if you have an active imagination like I do.
Thankfully,
other voices began to speak to me
and I discovered one of my most solid beliefs now,
even when I falter,
is that no matter what happens
all will be well.
I can’t hope that things will be the way I want them to be,
or that they’ll go back to the way they were before,
but I can know
deep within my being,
that all will be well.
Julian of Norwich
gave me this Gift . . .
the other voices
have just coloured it in a rainbow of song.
I just need to stay brave enough
to see the story out. ♥
“no matter what happens all will be well.”
This has helped me along the way, too 💜
It really does make a difference,
doesn’t it,
dear SunnyPatti? ♥
Thank you dear Sparrow. So relatable.
Muchas gracias,
dear Joseph . . .
sometimes
I feel like an idiot
screaming in the wind. ♥
I know what would. Problem is not having the wheels to stay on the move. Hate being tied down.
The problem for me,
dear Johann
is the price of gas. 🙂
The universe! 🙌 so much happiness and freedom! Thank you so much. Is there anything better than Truth?
Natural lighting far away spaces no need to hope in them right where I want to be away from hustle and bustle unplugged from the modern noise agenda
You can feel this,
dear Johann . . .
there is serenity in Nature.
Find a spot to call your own
with love . . . ♥
The fact that I’m still here! To me, that means I have something to learn and something to give.
Indeed you do,
dear Carol Ann . . . ♥
Carol, I’m certainly with you. Being a learner helps me see the entire chestboard from many different angles. One area of interest I’ve gotten more into lately is entrepreneurship. The stars have led to me creating my own “Loc Down” brand.
The purpose of my brand is to encourage others to just be themselves. Putting myself out there is one of the ways I feel like I’m giving, because I’m allowing my energy to radiate. Defense, protection, and adaptability are the pillers. The 8W9 ennielgram type best aligns with my brand.
8W9s are like bears. They appear dominant with soft insides. Their dominance is being used to look out for and protect those they care. Their softer side is earned. When they show us their softer side, it’s real and really comes out. There’s great value in it. 8W9s have a strong basic desire for autonomy.
I find hope in the many ways humans come together to care for each other and for our planet, even when things are as dark as they are on our national scene. Food banks, trash pick-up days, the refugee women’s organization I donate to, musicians who visit schools, land trusts that preserve critical habitat–so many examples I couldn’t possibly list them all. Years ago I read Rebecca Solnit’s “Hope in the Dark,” a wonderful reminder of the many ways we continue to progress toward the good even when we have setbacks.
This weekend in a used bookstore I picked up a book I ended up not buying and now I’m regretting that. I did take a picture of the cover to remind myself, and an extended quotation that struck me. It fits this question. The book is Letters to a Young Activist by Todd Gitlin, modeled on Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet. It has a political flavor; please excuse that if it creates resistance. I think everyone who posts here can relate to the majority of this. It’s in the same spirit as Solnit’s book, with a reminder of what we’ve achieved pushing for things to get better.
“What would the world be without the agitators? The great ideals wouldn’t stand a chance. The radiant goals that conservatives hope to conserve were not and could not have been achieved by conservatives. As if the Confederacy abolished slavery. As if the eight-hour day, the minimum wage, social security, public funding for medical care and higher education, clean water, rainforests and species preserved were ideas dreamed up by corporations, politicians and governments. As if the federal bureaucracy and pharmaceutical companies all by themselves, of their own good will, without benefit of a raging activist movement, put anti-AIDS drugs into the hands of millions of infected people. It’s obvious when you think about it, but neglected in the conservatives’ self-congratulations: without the disrupters, campaigners and ideological pests, all the noble words would amount to nothing but blackboard dust. This is not to justify any activity undertaken in the name of activism. It is to state a plain historical truth: no noise, no improvement. Activism as such is not sufficient for improvement, but damned if it isn’t necessary.”
Solidarity. Solidarity gives me hope in dark times.
Ooh, great quote, thank you Barb.
The truth. A bit rare these days. Thank you Barb.
This quote,
dear Barb,
should be typed up,
printed,
and dropped in leaflets all over the country . . .
in church parking lots,
parks,
tucked under car windshields,
and pasted in shop windows.
I say, AMEN.
I’m with you, Barb.
The power of love and kindness.
Faith and the abundance of beauty in my life.
It seems to me that lots of different people and groups, from many different cultures and religious and non-religious backgrounds, are saying a similar thing along these lines, “we need to have a collective awakening and wake up to the beauty and preciousness of life as it is. We need to recognize who we really are, our potential as human beings and our connection on and dependence on everything else.” So it gives me hope to think that maybe all these different groups might grow and connect more and more.
This vision,
dear Elizabeth,
sounds like the most glorious sunrise in the world. ♥
Perspective. Darkness likes to pretend it is omniscient and forever. But the world is made of darkness and light and all shades in between. Sometimes I fixate on darkness, sometimes people peddle darkness, sometimes I have to crawl through the darkness to see where the light is. But it’s always there.
You are right,
of course,
dear Drea . . .
my situation,
is that I can be so overcome with the darkness
that the little voice in the back of my head
says,
“there was always light in the past,
but who’s to say it’s going to be at the end of this tunnel”
And sometimes
I come very close to believing it.
You give me hope,
dear one. ♥
Thank you Sparrow. It’s funny, darkness has the quality of persuasion, of suffocation … and light doesn’t do that. Darkness wants to keep concealing. So of course it tries again and again to convince us this time the darkness is absolute. It doesn’t want us to see the new things the light will reveal. Sending love to you.
There are always possibilities in life. I like to look for them. I believe in possibilities. They are the glimmers of hope in the darkness.
Community!
Yes!
What gives me hope, when I feel hopeless?
That’s a hard one. I have been hopeless, and I try not to fall into hopelessness again. Reminding myself that right now, in this moment, I am okay. I have what I need and more. There are people that count on me and there are people I can turn to and be honest about how I am feeling. People that understand what it feels like to lose hope.
I am taking a break from the news right now. I may have over done it and consumed too much and was feeling pretty hopeless about our current national situation. In these situations, I have to look out for my own mental health and practice some self care.
That’s it, getting back to my practice of yoga, meditation, physical activity, and staying connected, is what helps keeps hope alive in me. It’s a re-centering of sorts.
Charlie, I turned the news (fear porn) off a few years ago & have never been happier. In my opinion it is designed to keep us in a constant state of fear. I prefer to be happy.
Good luck on your journey of no news. ♥️🕊️
💯PKR
Watching the news too much,
dear Charlie,
does send me into a tailspin too,
because I can see very clearly
the direction this country is heading,
and I begin to lose hope.
Reminding of Julian of Norwich’s famous quote,
“sin is inevitable, but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
calls me to realize
that no matter how this all turns out
all will be well,
perhaps in a different way than I can envision,
but ALL WILL BE WELL.
This helps me
when I am at the brink. ♥
I agree. The news is toxic. I believe we are poisoning our bodies and souls when we listen/watch. We have a choice.
I need a news break too, Charlie. 😤🤯
Thank you for the reminder!
Yes, good self care. When feeling hopeless I feel like skipping self care. But each bit of care soothes the soul. I just have to be mindful enough to remember to care for myself.
I too,
dear Mary,
encounter this situation from time to time . . .
thank you for reminding me
how important self-care it. ♥