“Hope“ will always dictate your effort!
Spark of Hope
Midlife Reflections #8
“Time heals all wounds” they say but a lot of us cling to the past which makes it quite difficult to move forward in life. Memories of the past is like a double edged sword. Many of the experiences we hold so dearly are often ones of joy, love or laughter that was shared with family, friends and loved ones which can never be replicated. Others are of fractured memories that bring sadness, pain and loss that we try so hard to forget but to no avail. Often times when we’re in a different setting, we encounter a similar situation or experience and expect it to follow what had happened in the past. When it doesn’t live up to the hype, to our expectations, the end feelings leave us disappointed, discouraged and depressed. Or when it brings about the same feelings of sorrow it just fuels our doomed outlook on life.
It’s truly hard to move past these things and I for one can admit that I find it challenging to do so. But everything that we experience makes us into who we are and really does help us to become stronger. Time really doesn’t fix things, it just add more to our already full plate and lessens the degree of our greatest or most horrible past memory. It really just finds a way of taking us out of our comfort zone and pushing us beyond our limits. Whether we bend or break is all up to us. I for one take it by its horn and wrestle it aside.
So if you find it hard to find happiness in life or just trying to make it day by day, take solace in knowing that you’re not alone. We’re all grinding it out the best way we can. There’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for all of us, it’s out there waiting for us to discover it. If things are not going your way or your ready to throw in the towel, take stock in where you are right now in life. You’ve made it this far, just think how much further you can go. It hard to stay positive but if you just have a tiny spark, it’s all you need to start that fire in you to go out and take action!
Daring The Impossible
Dream big. have outrageous goals;
become the envy of those around you
for daring the impossible
Life is a wide open playground
that needs to be explored
with eyes wide open
and a cavalier attitude
Retain that dogged determination
every time you fall
and rise with vim, vigor
and an abundance of spunk
Become that person
you were truly meant to be
and be an example,
that bright shining light;
passing on that spark of hope
and inspiring others
to reach for their dreams
no matter how grandiose it may be.
An Eternal Optimist
In the face of
insurmountable odds
and naysayers doubting
your ability
You have to have
faith,
passion,
know yourself
inside and out
Develop a keen foresight
and inner confidence
Have the drive
to fight and persevere
Knowing it will be enough
to overcome everything
Once you can do that,
a spark of hope
springs from an endless well
that leaves you with a sense of
unbridled enthusiasm
A beacon at the end of the tunnel
that will never dissipate
When you can truly feel this way
accept it as canon,
that’s when you know you’re
an eternal optimist.
Forever Strong
We wish good times would last,
that feeling of no tomorrow,
but we know that’s not the case
How does one stay strong
in the midst of the dark
When your life is riddled with
change,
crisis,
death,
tragedy,
pain,
heartache
We try to summon every ounce of
faith,
hope,
love,
courage,
support,
even false bravado
to overcome our trials and tribulations
We will never know how strong we are
until strong is the only choice we have
In the end if we do this, we’ll be
resilient in hard times,
fearless of the unknown,
eternally optimistic,
steadfast in our mind’s eye,
and
forever strong.
Writing Haikus
Writing is a gift
Your words convey true feelings
Inspire everyone
Your stories bring hope
Share them with everyone now
Invigorate dreams
Writing’s a journey
Embrace the path everyday
Always love your craft
A Spark Of Hope
Ever have one of those days when things just don’t seem to go your way or situations pop up that test your limits? We’re all faced with that time and time again; believe me, I’ve had my share ten times over and then some. There are other that have it even worse.
What I’m most curious about is how others cope with their personal struggles. How do they keep positive in light of all the bad things that are happening to them? What gives them the drive to face their dilemma head on and never give up?
When problems arise in my life, my “doom and gloom meter” starts to rise and my mind starts to go into overdrive about all the things I could’ve done to avoid this mess. My outlook starts to look depressingly hopeless and my daily routines are all out of whack.
I start to do normal things on auto-pilot all the while racking my brain on how to solve my problems or obstacles so that I can get back on track and live normally again.
When this happens, I start to get into a funk and feel like “Why does this always happen to me and when will it all end! Can’t I just get a break?!” Just when I see there is no solution to my turbulent mess, “a spark of hope” appears out of nowhere.
For me, that can come in the form of my dog greeting me at Mach speed with unconditional love and adoration. A big bear hug from my wife. It can even come from watching my kids simply do their homework or observing family members go about their daily routine. It’s amazing how something so small and mundane can make a difference.
Just the mere sight of them snaps me out of my much misaligned chaotic demeanor. It’s weird but seeing something like that, just soaking in those positive things gives me hope. Remembering all the good times and feeling so blessed to have a family like mine helps a lot; knowing that I overcame previous predicaments helps in the process. Maybe subconsciously I know that I have their undying love and support in my corner and I know I’m not facing my predicaments alone.
Can’t really explain it; I get a renewed sense of energy and endless possibilities about my life explode in my head…AND it’s all good. It feels as if nothing in the world can stop me from accomplishing anything and everything!
It’s funny how something so simple can become a beacon of unbridled optimism. Life doesn’t appear so bleak and I’m enthusiastically anticipating what’s in store for me in an hour, a day, a week or months from now. I begin to envision a more desirable and successful future for myself which might or might not happen. Who cares?!
My “spark of hope” is all that matters in driving my life forward. As long as I have that grain of reverie then everything is fine.
I can’t fathom how this process works but I’m just truly grateful that this “spark of hope” can do wonders for me. I just pray that this sparkle continues to light all of the dark and hard times that I’ll encounter in my life.
Midlife, Maniacal & Me 