4 Keys to Hope
As we complete just 1 week of 2021, so much change has already taken place. The recent events at the Capitol are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is coming to light and both the positives and negatives that we'll be able to see more and more clearly. And that is the truth of new beginnings - they are unsettling by nature.
Consider decluttering or redesigning a room in your home: it usually involves creating a mess before the vision starts to take shape, right? And so it is with the opportunities of the New Year that are before us. It is likely that things will appear to get worse before they get better.
But don't let appearances fool you.
Like the mess before the order, the darkness before the Sun rises, and the inflammation before the formation of new tissue, this is all part of something bigger. A New Cycle beginning. And as such requires that the remains of the previous Cycle be illuminated and brought out of hiding so they may be repurposed, recycled, or disposed to benefit the new cycle. Sometimes, we don't like what we find, or we wish we could unknow what comes to light. But in truth, it's more important than ever that we know what IS.
Nothing is ever as it appears solely on the surface. There are layers and dimensions to everything and everyone. So whenever something is imbalanced or unsettled, the remedy will require us to reveal those hidden dimensions and layers and trace them back to the origin. For as I impart to my clients, healing isn't about addressing what's on the surface. It's about addressing what's underneath and illuminating the bigger picture so we can eliminate the detrimental patterns, rather than just muting or delaying them, and free that energy up to move you in a brand new direction.
So how can you do that? How can you remain hopeful amidst this process of great change?
For me, just as I do my best to see the multiple layers of a challenge, I do my best to seek out the multiple layers of the solution. And so I've created a mnemonic approach that can serve you to strengthen Hope for yourself in these changing times of the New Year:
4 Keys to HOPE
H for Health and Healing. When we are actively focused on our self-care through consistent action to improve our physical health, mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health, we are less likely to be triggered or thrown off by the things that happen outside of us. So taking care of your personal foundation by doing more of the things that boost your vitality, less of the things that drain it, and always seeking to know the difference can serve you to have more hope.
O for Openness. When we feel hopeless, apathetic, or negative, it either stems from or leads to feeling constricted and closed down. We become less connected to self and others - the opposite of unity. So we can counter it through choosing to open up. If you close your eyes and imagine feeling optimistic, hopeful, or loved, you'll likely feel an expansion in your heart. And that is the feeling you can connect to in the face of change so you can remain connected to yourself, to those around you, and to the truth of what IS in the bigger picture.
P for Peace. Peace is balance in the center of things. Like the eye of the storm, no matter the chaos and destruction happening on the extremes, the center is quiet and the opposite of what's happening around it. Not because it's against what's happening around it, but rather because it unites the extremes. Practicing meditation cultivates this strength, so you can have peace in your life and operate from the clarity of your center through all of life's circumstances.
E for Example. While we can wish that others will do as we say and not as we do, that usually doesn't happen. We must walk our talk. So in other words, if we desire change in our external environment, we must first devote ourselves to embodying that change in our internal environment. This is the alchemy of BEING the change. So if you want hope and peace in any part of the world, you must devote yourself to building hope and peace within and be the template! When your thoughts and actions are aligned in a positively reinforcing way, big shifts become possible!
And those are 4 Keys to HOPE that can serve you to be more hopeful in the face of change.
Focus on your Health & Healing
Do your best to stay Open
Exercise Peace in your life
and Lead by Example!
And to add one more thing that I can do for you to expand your capacity for Hope in your life, I strongly recommend the Life Activation. This 1-on-1 session will bring a whole new level of self-awareness and clarity that will allow all 4 Keys outlined here to go deeper and have greater, lasting impact!
