Many traditions have a holiday this month: the beginning of winter when our days begin to lengthen again, Buddhism’s Bodhi Day of Enlightenment, Hanukkah, Christmas both spiritual and secular, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice and Yule, and Watchnight before the New Year, and probably more than a few not here listed.
The common theme is HOPE.
How hopeful do you feel? When you think about areas of your life that are challenging, maybe emotional eating and weight loss, or perhaps your sense of your value or a habit you can’t quite overcome, what would instill hope in you? What would help you heal your heart?
The truth is that we can cultivate it, but that also means getting honest about reality. I spent 40 years hoping for a different metabolism, and that didn’t work. I also spent a lifetime hoping for something that would build my sense of self, my value, but it took more than hoping.
What do you hope for this season? What can be born within you? If you mapped out the month for your success – whether that’s weight loss, personal growth, managing holiday/family harmony, offloading baggage, feeling your worth, healing your heart, or anything else that would enrich you – what would it look like? Make it a picture in your mind. Make it vivid so that it becomes real to you, so you know what you want.
Hope is where we begin – a desire, expectation, or goal – and then we must act. How can you begin to make one part of that happen? One step forward. What do you need?
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