Watering Hope - A Hope Path

@Hope

I believe that instead of always thinking and truly believing the worst can happen, to begin to try and change over time to think more positively about what we can change and to reduce the worry over what we can't. I also think that having a positive role model can help with this, as from my experience my grandad went through so much during the second World War in the navy but I have learnt from him that although hard times come they also go and to laugh my way through things rather than for me to feel anxious and for it to spiral out of control.

@Hope

Hope. Such a profound feeling. I'm going to use the flower concept you mentioned Hope to explain this. Just like a flower that blooms in the midst of a desert...like a desert lily. You would never expect a flower as delicate and pure as a Lily to grow under such harsh climates but it does. It does because it has the willpower to. It grows against all odds. Similarly, hope can bloom even from the most hopeless conditions within your heart. As we water this hope, it blooms extravagantly and allows us to shine a light from within and light our own paths ahead.

I was inspired by your words and this growth path concept. I read an article a while back, talking about hope and how to garner it when things gets really hard in life. I found the tips mentioned on finding hope to be really helpful and personally edifying, so I though I could share them with you.

- Hope in very simple terms, is that feeling when you look towards the positive side of things and believe within your heart and mind that good things will happen. But in order to know that good things can sprout from bad situations, we must first acknowledge and understand what is happening in our lives. When you come to terms with the bad that is happening (if you have been avoiding it), then you can start to see what good things can come out of it. For example, a person thinks "I have been finding it hard to socialise with others and make friends at work due to my social anxiety. But I heard my colleague likes to make anime style artwork. I like doing the same thing so maybe...if I could talk to her about it, I might be able to make a new friend since we share the same interest. I hope this could work out". This person has found a good thing in the midst of a bad situation, after they acknowledged the fact that they were going through it. They were able to work up some hope. This also connects with identitfying negative thought patterns and reshaping them into positive ones. Personally, I found this to be very helpful because it allowed me to analyse my situation and work from the core, from within, instead of working on the surface. I was able to identify lots of things that kept me from having a hopeful perspective and was able to change thought patterns to see things differently.

- Another possible way of building on hope, is to never give up on daily self-care activities. Although this might seem like a normal thing to do, taking care of ourselves in simple ways such as drinking water, skincare, physical exercise, journalling, gardening (if you enjoy doing it), having enlightening conversations with others and just about anything that cares for the self. It might surprise you how being consistent with self-care activities can unknowingly increase your hope and make you look forward to things. Therefore, even when you don't feel like doing it, try and stick with self-care routines or activities, even the simple ones can go a long way in watering hope. I remember when I was going through some dark times, I would find it hard to take care of myself without the motivation. But even when I lacked motivation, I stuck to doing simple things for myself like continuing with my skincare routine and journalling. It helped me pick myself up again and be hopeful.

- It is important to surround yourself with people that give off good energy. In other words, mingle with people who strengthen you and help you walk forward in life. These can be your friends or family members or even strangers; a good and fruitful conversation would contribute to lifting your spirits and giving you hope, when things seem uncertain or out of control. Personally, I found myself soaking up all the inspiration and encouragement that people gave me. Even a general conversation with people I perceived as wise and optimisic, they told me things that I didn't know I needed to hear. But when I heard them, they really shed their positivity upon me and made me feel hopeful. Word are really powerful and having the sincere, meaningful and uplifting conversations with the right people can really help in increasing one's hope.


Thank you giving me the opportunity to mention some of these points Hope. I'm looking forward to seeing this growth path thrive ❤

Dear Hope

Really connected to the idea of this path. And would like to appreciate you gor the beautiful way you have put it through. Relating to my experience around wellbeing and worst of mental health challenges, let me see if i can xontribute in form some ideas and pointers.

1. Watering hope path can have a layout, where each individual can draw their own def/ideas around hope. Images, sounds, words/phrases, connections and experiences that makes each individual resonate with hope.

For example, i see hope in inclusiveness, i find hope when children are respected by adult 'authority figures' and encouraged to share viewpoints/choices, i feel hopeful when people / communities offer safe apaces and try to develop non-judgemental env, hope reaches to me when people help out animals to coexist. The list can continue...

2. How about adding a GRATIUDE BRANCH to the tree (path) of watering hope. A space where one can enlist all that the individual is grateful for.

3. A self-compassion branch maybe, that can assist people with mental health challenges to deal with the 'inner critic' or to shield the soul from the not-so-kind ways that real world tends to pan out, unfortunately.

For example: This branch can have anchoring words, affirmations and narratives from mental health champions of how self compassion can attract HOPE within, when everything outside seems hopeless.

4. ' Hopefulness is nothing but a gimmick !' (Well someone suffering from clinical depression had once shared this thought with me).

So was imagining a branch to the sprouting tree of Hope (Path) about things in life that can make hope seem like an ' ILLUSION '(i strongly believe such an arm can help people feel supported that there's nothing wrong with them , when they can't think positively or find hope, as the world keeps telling , every now and then. Sometimes through mental health challenges individually can literally feel that their cups <inner vessel> have run out of water to pour into this sapling called Hope, metaphorically speaking.)

5. Activities / Micro Habits to nuture Hope

Wish you the best. Feel free to connect...

And keep us updated.

@Hope

🌱Like I love Gardening so definitely am more concern about how to water plants.

So I felt to share few things here:-

Attachment

Care

Other Spiritual things to add on:-

Giving and Receiving

Pure Intentions

Good Karmic actions

Thanks

@Hope

" Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. No good thing ever dies. "

@Hope

Hope is like bricks than build a wall, every day I can add one brick, then 30 days of brick can build something to stand, something to protect from weather. I like to watch how my efforts build another reality, sometimes I need to learn how to build better mi goals to avoid those strange paths of perfeccionism also to stop thinking that "I need" to build a castle in a few days. 30 days to create some skill even from cero, but nobody starts from cero because everyone has inner resources...

If hope is a canvas, I wonder how much we love to mix colors

May the Hope grow with us ✨

Thank you everyone for contributing to the Path! I am happy to announce that it is completed. You can view it here

@Aledge98 @DaisyDaph @SubtleBuzz32 @Petrichor2000 @JediJan