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Into the light

2/11/2014

Look for the light

We all have moments when we lose faith in ourselves, in others and in life. A temporary state of being short on optimism, energy, motivation and confidence.

A loss of faith translates into a loss of hope.
When there is no hope, you give up and stop trying.

Maybe you don't believe:

something good is around the corner
someone special wants to be with you
you are smart enough, good enough, competitive enough etc.
that plans will work out

Without light and a glimmer of hope, there is despair.
Sometimes a long period of darkness is triggered by a personal tragedy: a diagnosis of an illness, a situational depression or a string of bad luck and misfortune that darkens our horizon.

But, hope can return. How do you "turn on" and move towards the light?

If you have self-pity, feel apathetic and lethargic, getting angry might energize you
If you are angry, feel frustrated, taking responsibility for your life might motivate you
If you assume responsibility, exercise choice, making plans might kick-start you to action
If you make plans, feel a sense of personal control, making headway on decisions might empower you
If you make decisions, cope with the outcomes, seeing challenges as opportunities might just inspire you

Your effort is what moves you towards hope and light.

Please share how you find the light at the end of the tunnel? Your stories will inspire and support those who feel in the dark.

Into the light,
Coach Minda

8 Comments

Coach Minda

Building and sustaining relationships is central to my life. It is important to see people and things as they really are. I enjoy lots of different people and enjoy free and open discussions. I thrive on helping people resolve problems, turn around difficult relationships and see an optimistic future when others are stuck.

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I am not a writer by training, but enjoy using stories to illustrate ideas that are interesting to me. Let me know what you think.

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This video project below captures testimonies from mentors who participated in Concordia University activities for graduates. When filming, each mentor shared notable experiences in their professional journey and offered best practices that have defined their professional success.

Carole Lalonde

2/11/2014 04:44:41 am

When I feel despair or negativity I immediately go to feeling grateful.
By doing this the cloud dissapates very quickly. It is a tool that serves me well and allows me to be accepting of whatever it is that is bothering me. When we are not 'accepting' whatever it is, we suffer. I find it is usually 'ego' based and so grattitude is always the best remedy for me.

Minda

2/11/2014 04:51:23 am

Yes yes Carole, you are so right. It is very true that gratitude goes a very long way to seeing one's way out of the dark. Thank you for bringing this up. When I learned to be truly grateful and not just give lip service to this idea, my life changed for the better.

Miriam Cherniak

2/11/2014 01:52:18 pm

What helps me thru the dark times is knowing that they never last forever. Knowing that the dark times have always passed in the past, makes it easier for me to get thru them. Also, trying not to feel that I've been personally targeted, and that these things SHOULDN'T happen to me, but accepting that they dan happen, even if I've been a good girl.

2/11/2014 11:31:55 pm

It's true, knowing that "this too will pass" makes it easier. Good point. It is hard not to take things personally but as you say, things happen! Thanks Miriam

Michael

2/13/2014 06:00:44 pm

I liked your ladder of potential responses.
I do think that the amount of energy one feels is also related to one's sense of hope and optimism and that exercise, deep breathing, accomplishing something even if liittle can add fuel that gives people the confidence that they will have the energy to get through difficult times.

2/17/2014 04:46:16 am

Many mental, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual and physical factors influence our level of energy. The lower our energy, the higher the degree of hopelessness and helplessness people feel. So in those low energy times, finding even small ways to enhance one's energy is a step forward.

Judy Cherniak

2/16/2014 04:06:40 pm

I love the connection you made between a loss of faith and a loss of hope. I believe you're right. The times I've lost faith in myself, another person, or a whole system, especially when it comes to making lasting and meaningful changes have led to some of my darkest moments. As to how I got through them, sometimes I have just taken control of anything, no matter how trivial seeming. Like, getting a new hairstyle or colour, or giving myself teeny goals to accomplish like getting a smile out of a particularly grumpy person. Always feel the hope returning when I regain faith in myself even if the changes I affect are miniscule. And it makes me laugh at myself which is always healing. Man, we take ourselves too seriously at times.

2/17/2014 04:51:45 am

In an article on Hope, by C.R.Snyder, he makes quite a few suggestions on how to enhance hope. He agrees with you - that just adding one to a few goals (teeny ones) can make a difference. And, like you says: "learn to laugh at yourself, and enjoy a good laugh with your friends"

Into the light

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