Dearest Community
It's our first official check-in of 2021. Welcome, and if it's not too late to say so: Happy New Year!
For some of you, especially those in the UK, I appreciate that this year has been somewhat of a false start as we continue feeling the implications of COVID. A common question I've been hearing and asking myself lately is how to maintain hope when there doesn't seem to be much to be hopeful for.
While the answer will differ for everyone, something that has helped me is to feel my feelings and think my thoughts. This may sound obvious, but it's less automatic than it seems. Many of us find comfort in denying negative feelings or thoughts, assuming they will go away. They won't: burying them only makes them grow stronger. To weed them out is to honour and process them; in doing so, we can often feel a lot better, a little closer to hope.
All of that is to say that whatever you're feeling right now is okay. Try not to shy away from it. Try not to get stuck in it. Try to remember that hope is more reliable when we grow it from the inside.
With love Melanie |