Feb 7, 2012: Hope

My day was a bit intense: Meetings, followed by court testimony by phone, followed by another meeting, paperwork, seeing individual clients, a suicide assessment, etc.  I worked late and made it to the gym in time to catch the last 10-15 minutes of a Zumba class.  I was sweating after the first 2 minutes.  I don't know how I would last the entire hour if I had made it on time.  One of these days I will get there on time,...  (I have hope!)  After Zumba, I put in 20 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and that was enough for me to call it a night.  I pulled in my driveway at about 9:30pm, took a shower, and ate leftover soup.  (And of course gave the cats a snack.)  My snack earlier in the day = pear yogurt.  That was a first for me - not bad.  I'm glad I started out my day with a hearty bowl of Old Fashioned Oatmeal.  I was doing some last minute prep for court over the noon hour and didn't even think to eat lunch.  That rarely happens!  I was so busy, I didn't even have time to feel hungry.  All in all, I am pleased with the outcome of the day's events.      

So it's been one week already since starting the new program.  I hope I see results on the scale next week.  I know I said I wouldn't hyper focus on the scale, so that's all I'm saying about that for now. 

I was reading another blog on Stress Management by an MD, and a runner, who posted this question on resiliency: Who goes the distance and why?  While running marathons, Dr. Creagan talks with people who share a lot of similar struggles in life.  But they all handle stress and adversity in a variety of ways.  Some face trouble head on, with dignity, while others melt down and are unable to function.  He asked what the more hardy person has that the more fragile individual lacks (& then posed some possible answers).  Blog readers responses varied:  Some said faith and prayer.  Others said your childhood prepares you.  Your ability to utilize coping skills was important.  One person responded with "practice", and yet another, "a positive outlook on life".  "Hope", above all, seemed to be a crucial component for one reader.  Certainly in the field of crisis/mental health, we learn that hope is probably the most important factor when determining whether or not a person is suicidal.  Hope is big!  I think HOPE is an important determinant in regards to who goes the distance when setting personal goals (such as a 90-day challenge).  As you may think about what factors contribute to resiliency in your life, I also encourage you to think about what fuels hope.  Is it faith?  Determination?  Maybe it's the personal connections we have with others?  Or ??? 

What is it that you hope for in life?  What are the steps you will need to take to keep hope alive and achieve your dreams?  And if you are facing very difficult life challenges, what is it that keeps you hopeful?  How can you focus on that today?  (And if you're not feeling very hopeful, can you talk with a friend, relative, therapist, crisis worker?  It's important to be able to reach out.  It's okay to ask for help.)         

Well, that's about it for one night.  Time for me & Pele to meditate, do a few yoga poses, say bedtime prayers, and turn in.  Good night!

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