How To Discover Hope And How To Keep It

The new word in our vocabulary has been languishing, almost the opposite of Hope. The word languishing I’ve heard quite a bit in the last year, and some of you may have as well.

Languishing. I like it – the sound of it and how it rolls around on my tongue.

The Oxford Dictionary’s meaning is - failing to make progress or be successful.

Merriam Webster Dictionary meaning is - to become dispirited.

Yes, I get it now; languishing does explain a lot of how we have felt or continue to feel.

Keep in mind languishing isn’t a health condition or clinical illness like anxiety or depression. Instead, it’s a state some of us can find ourselves stuck in.

During the last couple of years, our worlds changed and got a lot smaller. It was like being on an elevator, which suddenly stopped. It’s now moving slowly, but for our lives to get going, it takes more than just pressing a button to get back up to speed.

We now have fewer restrictions and the fear has decreased a lot now but what remains is uncertainty. Even though many of us are getting out and about, there are lingering thoughts in our minds of how safe we are, will we “catch it” this time?

If you are in the languishing zone, whether it’s just a little or a lot, here are four areas that contribute:

Hope
Check your hope meter. Is it a 1 with not a lot of Hope, or a 10 – feeling hopeful about where you are and the future? Or is it somewhere in between?

A lack of Hope or something to look forward to can make us feel down. We can create Hope by planning a holiday, a morning in bed spent reading, or gaining clarity about something like the next role at work. Hope comes from small things like seeing the first daffodils in spring and bigger things such as finding a new lover or buying a first home. What could you do to create more Hope in your world and increase your hope meter?

Mindset

It’s easy to languish when we are self-critical. You may have negative thoughts - I’m no good at that; I just can’t be bothered; I can’t do that.

You may be self-sabotaging - making excuses for not doing something, comparing yourself to others, creating conflict with colleagues or loved ones, or trying to control others or the situation.

Notice in the next week what you are thinking and the percentage of negative thoughts.

Connection

Connection with others provides support and love. This connection can come from friends and family or in groups like a tennis team, mahjong, quiz nights at the pub or a neighbourly chat on the street. The connection provides us with someone to complain to or share experiences. Are you avoiding meeting others in person? If so, is this working for you?

Purpose
Like Hope, purpose creates a why. Without purpose, we might find life a bit meaningless. To have meaning is to understand what we enjoy, who we are and what is important to us. We can have several purposes in life; work, a hobby, or helping others. And these may change as we grow, gain responsibilities and age. So, where are you headed right now? What is important to you to ensure you have a sense of purpose?

And there is hope! As I write this, I notice the mornings are getting lighter! Yay, that means

spring isn’t too far away.

How about looking out for those signs of Hope – quite subtle, but they are there!

Warmly,

Allison

If you want to get out of languishing and back into life find out here about my free 60

minute webinar on how to Reset Your Life - You can register here: https://lnkd.in/gi7qwWuY

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