Redefining Hope

If you're looking for a sign, this is it. Keep your head up, and have hope.

I recently had a bad mental health flare up and it was the first time I'd experienced anxiety that I would describe as absolutely crippling. My usual high self-confidence tanked, and I felt as though I had no one to lean on. But, I did what I call "showing up for myself." That is, I tried my best to take care of myself while still acknowledging my feelings. I let myself cry when I felt like it, but I also kept hydrated, got good amounts of sleep, ate well, and tried my best to socialize to prove to myself that I had people in my life who cared about me. And thank goodness, it worked.

Now that I'm on the other side, I can't help but ruminate in awe over how hopeless I felt. Despite telling myself, "Ariel, you've been through this before, things will get better", I couldn't convince myself to believe my own affirmations.

And I've experienced this crushing absence of hope many a time this year, as I'm sure you have too. And so I implore you to ask yourself, what really is hope? Why is it that we have an abundance of hope only when it's easy to do so, but later find ourselves unable to grasp it when we need it most?

While searching for answers in my headspace, I found a new doctrine.

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Hope is a religion. Although it may be easy to let it go when times get tough, you have to grasp it, cling to it, and believe in it even if you think it's not there. Let hope be the force that carries you through the tough times, lifts you up when the world is weighing you down, and gives you a boost when you hit seemingly insurmountable walls.

This is not just some theoretical claim, this is a fact. Real people have done impossible things in the name of hope.

I think back to history lessons of run-away slaves, people who were told by every spoken word, every law, and almost every action on earth that they were, and would always be nothing. And yet, they harbored hope so fierce that it manifested itself in maps made of braids, in hymns that told their story, and in their fast feet as they ran away from what they knew and into the unknown.

Of course, these brave souls were met with horrific hardships along the way, but from their sacrifice came unbelievable progress that continues to extend past their lifetime. If these heroes could see their people today, they'd see the stuff of their wildest hopes and dreams. I am the living manifestation of generations of burning, inextinguishable hope, and so are you.

So you see, once you believe that hope is there, it manifests itself through you. You become its agent of change, who will pave the way for its fruition. In other words, it's a Tinkerbell of a self-fulfilling prophecy that starts with you.

Once that belief is there, run with it. Show up for it and put in the work. Continue to protest, vote, advocate, and pursue your dreams. One day, our hopes will be realized.

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Thank you so much for reading through to the end😊 I hope this message has some truth for you, and that it maybe helps you better face your hardships! As always, feel free to leave a comment about your thoughts on this post or you can always send me an email or a dm on insta💖