Having hope

So here's something really interesting about this journey. One of the things I love most about my work with New Spirit Journal is publishing the works of other writers. I love sharing inspirational true life stories. I did this in print and online for many years and now publish online only.

Many people have told me how much they miss reading New Spirit Journal as a physical newspaper. Late last year, I realized I could still publish these articles in print form as books and I decided to publish my first anthology. Because so many people seem to be in or close to despair, I chose to publish articles about having hope. I put out the call to writers asking for true stories when people were ready to give up but clung to hope and made it through difficult times. I was able to publish 31 of these stories in The Book of Hope.

Right before my health issues began, the book came out. I hadn't even been able to start the marketing campaign and now I am using it myself! And I am looking forward to feeling better so I can tell more people about the book.

When times are tough, it can be difficult to cling to the hope that things will get better. For me, there are times when I ask if this is the way I will live the rest of my life. Will I ever breathe normally again? Will I ever be able to walk from one end of my home to the other without gasping for air? Will I ever regain my mobility?

And I realize these questions don't take me closer to the desired result. For me, this is about accepting things as they are while also doing everything I can to move in the desired direction - while realizing I don't know the outcome. I am living in the mystery of the moment. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. Do I like it? No. Have I done this before? Yes. Can I draw on those past memories of success in doing this? Definitely!

Quite simply, we don't always know the why of our lives, only the whats. And most of the time this is all we need to know. Accepting what is can be the most liberating and soul-deepening practice of all.