ARE you hurt and discouraged?
What’s wrong with justifying your loss of hope and enthusiasm? The problem is that your system might become accustomed to it – until one day, you realize that fighting hopelessness has become a struggle. Depression has set in.
It’s like riding a boat with a hole – and emptying it of water is simple and manageable, until your body gets tired and weak, and you realize that your boat is on the verge of sinking.
You want to fight, but you are overpowered. You want to be freed, but you feel like you are chained. So, this is my advice:
1. Never justify your feeling of hopelessness. Don’t allow negative thoughts to linger. Get rid of them quick, or else, they’ll poison your spirits.
2. Get busy doing positive and productive things. Whenever feelings of sadness and discouragement hit you, don’t stay in your room doing nothing. The feelings of sadness and discouragement will just grow even more!
3. Avoid hope busters as much as you can. When you are at your lowest, you are more likely to get affected by their negative energy. Always keep a safe distance.
4. Look for the smallest reasons to celebrate. Just because you have problems doesn’t mean you’re not blessed. Focus on the doughnut, not the hole! Focus on what will make you thankful, happy, and hopeful.
5. Discipline yourself to continue your daily tasks even when you are hurting. At the end of each day, congratulate yourself for the “achievement”. Tell yourself something like this, “If I did it today, I can do it every day! Life goes on. The Lord will not forsake me.”
6. Endure the trials… enjoy the blessings. Sometimes we just magnify the sad things that we fail to see the blessings. Count your blessings.
7. Always look for reasons to go on living despite the doubts, the fears, and the pains. Forget your worries and heartaches. You have plans and dreams, family and friends. Get involved in an advocacy or ministry wherein you can share any of these: your time, talent, or treasure. (Leave something for yourself. Burn out can be a source of discouragement.)
Repeat 1 to 7 until the discouragement is replaced by courage, hope, happiness and excitement.
God will show you new things. Welcome them!
Get a copy of my book, “Hope Boosters for Fired up Souls” for more inspiration. It is available at selected branches of National Book Store and Pandayan Bookshop.
Like the Hope Boosters Facebook Page, too! (Marilyn C. Arayata)
