Lost and Found: The Relationship Between Self-Awareness and Hope

Hope can be defined as our desire or expectation for something to happen. Some people hope for marriage, some hope to make it to a professional league, and some of us, well, I think all of us hope to win the lottery! Depending on who you are and what stage of life you're in, what you're hoping for can vary. Conversely, lacking self-awareness and becoming unaware of what stage of life you're in can lead to living a hopeless life. IMAGINE THAT! Imagine a life without hope. Some of you can't or choose not to imagine it's possible, and some of you are now counting how many people you know that live this way. Whatever you're thinking right now, I want you to understand this... losing hope is one of the worst things that can happen!

Hopelessness is how I describe a particular chapter of my life. There was a time when I had no desire to strive for anything positive. There was no fulfillment, and I had no expectations of receiving it. The only thing I expected was to wake up with the same "zombie-like" attitude that I was experiencing every day. I was going through the motions without joy or hope for anything more significant than my daily routine of misery and despair. So, when did the light bulb of hope come on? Nope, I didn't win the lottery! On the contrary, it happened when I began to see how my state of mind was negatively affecting my family. That is when I realized my "black hole" could not get any darker or more profound. I looked within myself and realized that I couldn't care for my family without caring for myself. In those moments, you must look within yourself to open your eyes and see life outside of yourself. At that point, the others you see in your life will instill the hope and motivation you need to provide them with the best version of you.

Now, the real work begins, and it starts with increasing our self-awareness. We must spend every day rediscovering what we missed when we were blinded by the darkness that robbed us of our hope, passion, and purpose. The more we rediscover, the more we discover, and the more we grow. An increase in growth equals an increase in hope. Hope for living a fulfilled life.

Another message from your social & emotional life coach. I appreciate the conversation.

‍