Hopeless feeling

Do you ever feel a little bit hopeless? The first thing to understand is that the feeling of hopelessness is just that — a feeling. It is not you. It’s just something you’re feeling. It’s not who you are. It doesn’t define you. It is merely something you’ve chosen to feel. Yes, at the moment it may seem like it is everything you are. But step back just a little, put it in perspective, think about it, and you’ll quickly see that’s not true. Remember that you are much, much more than the hopelessness you’re feeling right now.

Even so, it is a big part of you. And that’s actually good, because it gets your attention. That’s why you notice it and feel it so strongly. So go ahead and let it be for a little while. Let the feeling of hopelessness get your full attention. Accept it. Fighting against it will only make it stronger. That feeling of hopelessness will just keep on getting bigger and bigger until you fully accept and acknowledge it. So do that. Stop fighting it and calmly, intentionally accept it.

When you do, all of a sudden you begin to take control. No longer is the hopelessness telling you what to do. Now, you’re allowing it to be. You’re no longer afraid of it. You’re not making it stronger by fighting against it. You’re making the choice to allow it fully into your awareness.

Now feel it fully. Feel how awful it feels. Feel how it makes you go limp. And remember, you’ve chosen to feel it. And as lousy as it feels, you have control over it. Let it in all the way and realize that it is you who are letting it in. You are not the hopelessness. You are simply allowing it to have its say.

So listen. There’s something the hopelessness is attempting to tell you. What is it? Listen carefully, and you’ll understand that it is not really hopelessness. It is in fact a messenger, a messenger filled with hope and with possibility. It is using the feeling of hopelessness by way of contrast, to point out to you how truly full of hope and possibility your life is. That feeling is getting your attention so it can shine a light on your positive possibilities. That feeling is working diligently to reconnect you with your dreams, and your most deeply held purpose.

So listen, and feel, and see the positive message in feeling of hopelessness. Then, because you are in total control of it, let it go. Precisely because you are in control, it quickly disappears. And what you are left with is a renewed sense of purpose and, yes, real hope.