Hope in Daily Moments EP 68

Life Experiences That Give Hope • Witnessing unexpected kindness - Those moments when someone goes out of their way to help another without expecting anything in return remind us of the fundamental goodness that exists in humanity, even during challenging times. We also know that our brain releases feel-good chemicals when we show kindness to others, received kindness ourselves and witness the kindness – it’s the ultimate win/win/win. • Recovering from failure or setback - The experience of falling down but finding the strength to get back up proves our resilience and teaches us that difficulties are temporary, not permanent conditions of life. It’s often when we may need to ask for help or acknowledge that we can’t do everything on our own. I want to be the kind of person that people come to when they need support, and I also want to be willing to ask for help when I need it. • Reconnecting with old friends - When relationships survive distance and time, it demonstrates that meaningful connections can endure and even deepen, showing us that some bonds transcend circumstance. Are you good at keeping in touch? That’s something I’d like to do a better job of – my mom was great at this. She kept in touch with letters and cards – and then phone calls with people for year. To this day, she still gets phione calls from a woman who befriended her when they were stationed in Florida in the 60’s. Her friend is in her 90’s and my mom is in her 80’s and they still do that. So much of life feels planned – we have routines and structure and I’m glad for that too – who wants chaos? Not me – a nice surprise now and then – that’s cool. I remind myself and I want to remind you too that you can Be intentional about the kind of day you want to have, the kind of person you want to be. There’s hope in choosing. Here’s to a great day today and an even better tomorrow.