Hi friends! I am so thrilled to reconnect with you on this journey of changing our beliefs! It warms my heart to picture you actively engaging in self-compassion and self-forgiveness—powerful acts that, I believe, are paving the way for incredible shifts in your life.
As we’ve journeyed through this country of our subconscious beliefs, I’ve sensed a common thread—an eagerness to see tangible changes and a concern about the ticking clock. That fear of being behind or missing out on the benefits in certain aspects of life is entirely valid, and we’re diving deep into it in this upcoming blog post.
So let’s talk about the next incredibly powerful step: Hope. It’s a light that will shine on our path forward. We’ve all been in that space of feeling like we’re falling behind, I’m pretty sure it’s a universal sentiment. In such moments, embracing the truth that there is hope becomes a transformative act in itself. Let’s unpack the power of hope in the next step of our journey. I pray it will inspire and uplift you!
I’ve spent years staring at mountains, convinced they were insurmountable! You’re familiar with it, right? That feeling that whatever challenge lies before us will demand too much time, too much effort, and seem impossibly hard to make our new normal. Take paying off a mortgage early, for instance—how on earth does one even begin, right? I remember grappling with that overwhelming sensation, staring down a seemingly eternal 30-year debt.
But then I stumbled upon stories of others who conquered similar peaks. After marinating in the overwhelm for a while, I mustered the courage to take the plunge. Surprisingly, the journey was much shorter and less daunting than my imagination painted it to be. The same story unfolded when I contemplated re-educating myself in the U.S. after earning a fair education in Switzerland. Some mountains just seem too colossal to climb.
We often find ourselves in a contemplative stance, figuring out how to make peace with staying stuck when, in reality, every step forward, even if it’s just one a day, propels us further than remaining stagnant. You know the saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It holds some good truth, especially for the journey of changing deep-seated beliefs—one step, one shift at a time. Adopting a mindset of tackling one thing at a time is a spark of hope. So, let’s dive into how we can cultivate this hope for transformative change!
Breaking free from the clutches of despair is no easy feat, especially when past attempts at change have left us defeated or resigned. It’s a double whammy. Before diving into the nitty-gritty of tackling these issues, there’s a crucial internal battle to be fought—a battle to dismantle the deeply ingrained belief that change is an elusive mirage. Even when life has persistently reinforced the lie over decades, if we want change, we need to realign our hearts and minds with this unwavering truth: with God’s redemptive nature, all things are possible.
Yes, it’s easy to find reasons for hopelessness. Life often throws challenges that seem insurmountable. But, there’s a lighthouse of hope that outshines them all. God foresaw the monumental battles we’d face, the mountains too steep for us to climb alone. So, He sent Jesus, the ultimate redeemer of impossibilities, paying the price for our victories. This truth might not immediately sink deep into your soul. Questions might linger about how to fully embrace it and what steps to take.
Here’s something to ponder: What if it were truly hopeless? What if change were an impossible feat? Consider the emotional atmosphere that belief would cultivate—apathy, depression, escalating coping mechanisms, frustration, a joyless existence, and the list goes on. Does accepting hopelessness offer anything positive? Not from where I stand. It turns the rest of our earthly existence into a bleak, unsatisfying journey.
Now, consider this: If contemplating hopelessness paints such a dismal picture, what do you stand to lose by trying something, anything, in the pursuit of change? Personally, I’d feel a lot better having embarked on the quest to break through the impossible, even if life’s clock runs out before I find all the answers. It beats the alternative of resigning to a life shrouded in hopelessness—a place that feels unbearably stuck. Stagnation is not a pleasant state, and I bet you’re not a fan either. Besides, in case you lost track of it, this blog is part of the series of reducing stress levels – and may I remind you what a draining and stress inducing impact a negative emotional state like hopelessness fosters?
So, here’s a thought: even if you’re not fully on board with embracing hope, maybe you can buy into the idea that, well, since there’s nothing to lose, why not try something? That’s an okay place to start, my friend! And if you’re up for it, here are some suggestions I have for how we can kickstart the journey of cultivating hope through our choices. Give them a shot, and may you discover hope blossoming along the way.
As mentioned earlier, embarking on a journey toward hope and change can sometimes feel like standing at the foot of a mountain. A good starting point? Take a look at the toolbox I’ve been sharing, filled with tools and steps that have proven so helpful on my own path. Ask yourself: Have I encountered these tools before? Better yet, have I not only known about them but actually put them to the test, incorporated them into my life for a good stretch of time?
Now, don’t let the array of options overwhelm you. Instead, consider which one—just one—feels like the lowest hanging fruit. It’s perfectly okay to start there. Remember, progress is progress, no matter how small the step.
Let’s have an honest conversation with ourselves. Just because we haven’t tasted success before, does it mean success is off the menu forever? It’s a valid question, one worth exploring. Ask yourself how you’ve come to believe this, what evidence supports it. Consider investigating who has trodden this path before you and emerged victorious.
Remember that concept from the early days of this series—the confirmation bias? It’s a sneaky one. While we’re striving to reshape our subconscious beliefs, the old ones are still on the lookout for proof of their validity. So, we’ve got to actively seek evidence that aligns with the new narrative we’re crafting. If, for instance, we’re challenging a belief that we’re destined for eternal loneliness and unworthy of connection, it’s easy to find instances where attempts at connection went awry.
Consequently, in our pursuit of change, let’s pinpoint moments, even tiny ones, where the needle nudged forward. Let’s look at stories of others who’ve navigated this terrain successfully. I’ll talk more about this in the next blog post.
Start picturing that hope is not just a distant friend; it’s a choice you get to make. Yes, you have the power to decide whether you continue this journey or not. It’s a God-given freedom, a gift of grace that empowers you to make choices you might not consider on your own. God desires for you to walk in the freedom He sacrificed for. So, ask for His guidance, and then open your eyes wide. Develop a fresh awareness for the paths He might be laying out for you. It’s like a sequence—each step unveiling another and another.
You can also choose not to surrender to hopelessness. Imagine hopelessness as a bully waiting to pounce, gaining strength if it succeeds in scaring you into surrender. Now, visualize yourself strolling right past that bully, head held high. Why? Because you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Remember, just because you believe you’ve tried everything doesn’t mean you’ve exhausted all possibilities. Often, there are more options available that you simply haven’t discovered yet. So, keep an open mind, ask, and expect to receive, just as Jesus commands and promises.
Here’s some encouragement for you: the source of our hope is not found in other people or tools but in God Himself. This is crucial because relying on anything else has the potential to fail, leading to hopelessness. However, if you anchor your hope in God for changing your beliefs and experiencing breakthroughs, you can cultivate a healthy expectancy for answers. Healing and victory come from Him, and He delights in giving good things to us. Keep engaging hope with faith!
As I wrap up today, let’s remember what an important part hope plays on our journey of transforming subconscious beliefs. It’s not just wishful thinking or a fleeting emotion; hope is a powerful choice we make, grounded in the unwavering truth that our ultimate source is God Himself.
Cultivating hope involves a series of choices. It’s choosing to believe that change is possible, even when past attempts have faltered. It’s choosing to explore new paths, even when the familiar roads seem exhausted. It’s a conscious decision to reject the taunts of hopelessness, treating it like a bully we refuse to surrender to.
Keep on asking and most importantly, anchor your hope in God. Unlike human endeavors or external tools, His love is unwavering, and His power is limitless. By placing our hope in Him, we open ourselves to the anticipation of answers, healing, and victory. After all, He is the source of all good things.
So, as we navigate the terrain of changing beliefs, let’s march forward with the banner of hope held high. There’s an entire landscape of possibilities waiting to be explored, and with God as our guide, we can face the journey with assurance and expectation. Here’s to cultivating hope—one choice at a time.
