#simple steps

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Hope can quickly seem like nothing more than a mere concept or distant dream during difficult times. It may feel like the odds are always stacked against you, from financial troubles to personal difficulties. 

However, this should not be a cause for alarm because no matter how bleak things seem, there is always something to look forward to. Whether you are facing health issues, financial difficulties, or emotional challenges, here are three easy things you can focus on if you feel hopeless.

1. Shift Your Mindset 

When finding hope, the first thing to consider is to change how you view your circumstances. Replace unhealthy thoughts with more productive ideas of improving the situation instead of dwelling on it. This does not entail excluding the issues you encounter but withdrawing from perceiving them in certain ways. It is impossible to control what happens to us. Still, it is always possible to decide how to feel about it.

Take inspiration from Stephen's story in Hit and Run: A Story of Survival and Motivation by Nancy Bonansinga. When Stephen was involved in a catastrophic hit-and-run car crash, the odds of him being alive were put at 1%. Yet, instead of vanishing into despair, this kid opted for hope. His story is inspiring as it exemplifies that no matter how bad things get, there is always hope and goodwill to see you through.

2. Lean on Faith and Community Support 

No one should have to go through tough times alone. Find people who can support you, whether family, friends or a spiritual community. When all seems lost, faith may be a strong source of hope. If you think there is a greater force, then you can find solace and serenity in prayer and meditation.

Stephen's recovery was a team effort. His family and faith played a huge role in his miraculous survival. Hit and Run beautifully captures how love, patience, and belief in something bigger than ourselves can make all the difference. 

3. Celebrate Small Wins 

Hope does not work as a result of radical and instant transformations. It most often develops gradually, in tiny steps you take. Always have reasons to be happy; every step you take should be applauded. 

For the next few months, Stephen and his family went through many rehabilitation sessions and therapies until he learned how to walk again. Stephen's recovery was slow, painful, and uncomfortable. Still, he and his family celebrated every little achievement – from the involuntary twitch of his muscles to his first steps on the hospital's floors. 

Reading about Stephen's victory over trauma during times of hardship is not only engaging but also comforting. It relays the message that you can always find good in a world that, at times, seems unbearable.

Five simple steps for getting rid of paperwork:

keep it if it’s a legal document

keep it if it’s treasured letter or postcard from a friend or family member

keep it if it’s financial and less than a year old

shred any other paperwork

repeat the process on April 2nd every year

If you’ve been following along for the last ten(!) years, you’ll see this list is a little different. I’m not the person, nor the writer, I was when I first started this tradition, and the tenth anniversary seemed a good time to rewrite it.

Six simple steps for getting rid of books:

keep it if it’s a treasured gift

keep it if it’s unread and you bought less than three months ago

keep it if it’s a favourite you re-read often

return it if you borrowed it from someone more than three months ago

send the rest of the books to the charity shop

repeat the process on March 1st every year

If you’ve been following along for the last ten(!) years, you’ll see this list is a little different. I’m not the person, nor the writer, I was when I first started this tradition, and the tenth anniversary seemed a good time to rewrite it.

Five Simple Steps for Getting Rid of Paperwork

If it’s a legal document, keep it;

If it’s a treasured letter or postcard from a friend or family member, keep it;

If it’s related to your finances and less than a year old, keep it;

Everything else, shred and recycle;

Six Simple Steps for Getting Rid of Books

If it’s a treasured gift, keep it;

If it’s unread and bought less than three months ago, keep it;

If it’s a favourite you re-read often, keep it;

If it’s borrowed from someone else, return it;

Everything else, send to the charity shop;

Five Simple Steps for Getting Rid of Paperwork

If it’s a legal document, keep it;

If it’s a treasured letter or postcard from a friend or family member, keep it;

If it’s related to your finances and less than a year old, keep it;

Everything else, shred and recycle;