Day 20: Reflections on Hope - Week 3
Now it's your turn to again reflect and catch up on this third week of hope.
It’s hard to believe that we’re twenty days into this thirty-day journey where I’m exploring a different aspect of hope each day. Tomorrow is the most hopeful day of the year, the Winter Solstice—the return of the light—then within a few days, it’ll be Christmas and Hanukkah, then Kwanzaa, and before you know it, the new year will be upon us. Phew!
My hope for you is that you’re able to plan some time for yourself over the next couple of weeks to restore your spirit and prepare for the year ahead. I know that because of the incredibly hard things going on for some of you, finding time for yourself will be easier for some than others, but I wish it for you anyway.
Here is a recap of Week 3, which includes the day’s quote, a brief excerpt from the day’s letter, and a daily reflection. If you’re interested in reading more from a particular day, click the “Read More” link below the excerpt and that will take to you to the post for that day.
I hope that wisdom of others and the reflection about hope, will help you find and sustain hope in your life. And as always, please share your reflections with me when you do. We all need to learn from each other.
With hope in my heart,
Annette
Day 14: Expressing Yourself is a Sign of Hope
Day 14 Reflection
As you read Julie’s admonition, “This is no time to give in to the urge to slow down or quit creating!” what came to mind for you? Do you agree? If so, how and where do you find the motivating to keep creating?
Julie also writes about starting small.
Smile to someone at the grocery store. Make banana bread for a neighbor. Take a walk in your neighborhood and greet others as you pass them on the street.
What can you do today to make a difference in your day-to-day contacts. If you’ve tried, how has it worked out for you?
Day 15: Spreading Hope
Day 15 Reflection
Think about someone you encounter regularly in your day-to-day life—it could be a family member, friend, neighbor, barista, security guard, grocery store clerk, co-worker, anyone you recognize, whether or not you know them well and whether or not they share your politics—and surprise them with something. It could be a rose, or maybe a box of chocolates, a stuffed animal, or, as Elizabeth Gilbert shares, a “You Are Loved” sticker, or whatever your imagination can dream up.
Find a way to share “a rose in the wintertime” with someone in your life. I will do it too and, afterwards, we can compare notes.
Day 16: Hope Lights the Way
Day 16 Reflection
What draws you to the light even when the darkness seems overpowering? What allows you to believe another day will dawn? How do you stay hopeful on days that are filled with stress and challenges?
Day 17: A Hope in Hell
Day 17 Reflection
How would you answer the Sandman’s question, “What power would hell have if those imprisoned here weren’t able to dream?”
How do dreams keep you hopeful? What images did this scene conjure up for you? If you’re so inclined, draw your image of “hope in hell.”
Day 18: Practicing Hope
Day 18 Reflection
Have you ever considered the idea of practicing hope? What are some things you can do to make hope more a conscious part of your life so it’s there when you need it?
Make a list of five things that you can do when you’re feeling hopeful that you can refer to in times when hope is more of a struggle to find. Please share your list!
Day 19: When Hope's the Last Thing You're Feeling
Day 19 Reflection
What fortifies you when you feel despair? Create a collage of things that anchor your hope. Gather magazines, newspapers, or printouts of images and words that resonate with you. Create a collage representing people, ideas, places, or values that give you hope. Reflect on which elements of the collage resonate most with you right now and how can you integrate these hope anchors into your daily life?
Reflect on times when hope played a role in overcoming challenges. Write about the situation in a journal. Include:
What challenges you faced.
What gave you hope during that time.
How hope influenced your decisions or actions.
Then reflect on what helped you sustain hope in that situation. How did maintaining hope change the outcome?
With hope in my heart,
Annette
