Embracing Hope
Waking Up to a New Beginning:
It isn’t often that I beat myself up. Who am I kidding, I beat myself up all the time! Sure, I know I’m not perfect or some kind of wonder woman, but it would be nice if I could just accomplish what I’d set out to do for the day. Right?
Goals
My goal is to wake up somewhat early, do a half hour workout, eat a healthy breakfast, shower, and then start my work day by pecking away at my laptop, writing. You might think that sounds easy. You might have that, plus you have kids you’re schooling at home while working full time, keeping up the house, volunteering—trust me, I’ve been there too; it was hard for me to say no. I wanted to do it all and do it all well. Others may have thought I did it well, but I didn’t. Often, I felt like a failure. It’s in these moments that we can feel defeated, beaten, tired, or just plain want to give up and go back to bed. We don’t but sure wish we could.
Use your Failure
Faith can be an amazing thing. Faith, you see, can make all things new; it ushers in hope, and hope gives us wings to soar. Okay, so you might have dishes in the sink and dirty laundry, but you can still get through your day with a smile. Go ahead and rock those sweatpants and eat a brownie for breakfast once in a while. After all, there is a season for everything under the sun. Today might not be all you intended it to be. You may think you’ve failed. Just know that in all failure, there is a lesson learned. Use that failure as your opportunity for reflection and growth.
One Step at a Time
You’ve heard the expression, one step at a time; I know you have. Reflect on what you could have done better, but don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead, embrace it and grow from it. Have faith that if you take one step at a time, you’ll be making progress; forgive yourself. Each day that you take a step with a hopeful heart is a good day. If you can’t find your slippers and you burn your tongue on coffee, just smile; you’ve been given another chance of waking up to a new beginning.