Challenges, yes. Yet, there is HOPE.
Challenges in life are many. Sure, so are joys, but being honest, sometimes, it seems the challenges out weight everything else. We can get so lost. This changes in time, thankfully. Many of us have areas we want to improve. “Just doing it” is not so easy at times. In fact, at times, it is nearly impossible without a helping hand. We ALL need a helping hand at times.
Some of us have pain no one sees, but we know the pain; our secret pain is there, somewhere. We cannot identify it right now, but we feel something is not right, not good, not how we want to be, and we don’t know why or what yet. “Yet” is the key word. We can learn. We can find what we are looking for. There is hope.
What is “it”….
There are many who have “unknown” and not yet identified “things” in their lives. Maybe memories, maybe fears that cannot be understood or just perhaps “stuff” we cannot even figure out yet in our lives. Sometimes grief. Grief over anything that saddens us. Perhaps the loss of a loved one, but there are other types of suffering too. Grief hurts. Grief can drain us. Sometimes whatever we are feeling (or thinking) makes us numb. Sometimes we feel dull. Sometimes, lost, covered in darkness, sometimes just unwell. Sometimes angry, and we don’t know what to do with the anger. Sometimes our days and our nights are difficult. That is just the truth. It can change and will in time. Nothing stays the same. There is hope.
What can we do?
There is no need to judge ourselves. There is no reason to condemn ourselves. We can accept this truth and move through it, often with a helping hand. The truth is, we are challenged at times beyond what we think we can handle, but we are not left alone. We can increase our suffering by denying it and fighting it, or we can get some relief by being honest, keeping it real, accepting where (and how) we are now. We can get what we need to move through this rough patch in our life. It is a patch, a rough and tough patch, but a patch, not our entire life. That too can be hard to see at the time. Nevertheless, there is hope.
How do we get through?
There is hope. Yep! There is hope. One thing that is most important to me in these blogs is to be honest and to share my truths. These may change, and I am growing, as well as “Being and Becoming,” but I will share what I know as I know it. I will not lie, deceive or act as if “all is okay,” knowing it is not for some folks. We all struggle at times. No one is perfect; no one is an island. We all are human. So, in sharing our humanity, we may fall, but we will change, and hopefully, we will grow and become more and more aware of who we are and what we know.
I KNOW there is HOPE. ALWAYS. There have been times I forgot that truth. I got lost, off track, confused, and had so many feelings and thoughts that could take me down into a pit. But…yes! Hope came through! Life challenges are individual. We all have them; some are different, some are universal, and some are unique. One thing is common, it all comes and goes.
We may not feel it at the time. We may need to find it through others. That is a good idea. If you are hopeless and doubt there is hope for you, find it by talking about it to others. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO THROUGH THOSE FEELINGS ALONE.
Please reach out. Call a friend. Call your doctor. Call a spiritual leader. Call a therapist. Call a school counselor or social worker and get referrals. Call 988. Just talk, talk till you find the hope we all need. DO NOT GIVE UP. DO NOT GIVE IN to those feelings. They are not telling you the truth.
Some truths I know, and you can add to this list, I am sure, but to get started, here are some truths to ponder, “You” also means “we” because these are true for each of us:
- YOU MATTER. A LOT.
- You may not be aware of your worth, but please know you are worthy of life, and love, and you do belong.
- You can be seen and heard.
- You are full of love, even if you cannot see it or feel it.
- Others want you in their lives.
- As you find hope, you know again you will pass through the darkness.
- The saying: This too shall pass, is true.
- You can reach out today; please do.
Hold onto the Serenity prayer until you get the help you need
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
These few words have saved the lives of countless many people at different times. We all struggle. There are things we can change and things we cannot change. We need the courage to do what we can when we can; timing matters. We need the wisdom to know what is within our power and what is not and how to do it too. We are not alone!
Here are some fun facts about the prayer. As you can see, many people have used this for various reasons. Some folks only think of it for AA groups, but it is for each of us anytime and often used bu many people for various reasons.
The prayer was composed in 1933.[1] The prayer spread rapidly, often without attribution, through church groups in the 1930s and 1940s and was adopted and popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous in 1941 and other twelve-step programs. Niebuhr used it in a 1943 sermon at Heath Evangelical Union Church in Heath, Massachusetts. It also appeared in a sermon of Niebuhr’s in the 1944 Book of Prayers and Services for the Armed Forces,[1] while Niebuhr first published it in 1951 in a magazine column.[1][6]
Early versions of the prayer are given no title, but by 1955, it was being called the Serenity Prayer in publications of Alcoholics Anonymous.[7]
In 1962, Hallmark began using the prayer in its graduation cards crediting Niebuhr;[6] in the 1970s they also produced a wall plaque. Posters and household ornaments were produced by others without attribution.
The above was found at: Serenity Prayer. (2022, November 25). In Wikipedia.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer
Remember: These blogs are not intended to give any “advice” and are not meant to provide therapy at all. They are simply for educational and inspirational purposes.
Please call 988 or go to a local hospital if you need assistance.
