5 min read

Even When It Looks As If All Is Lost, These 5 Things Can Bring You Hope

Updated: Jul 25, 2023

To say 2020 has been a year for the books is an understatement! I, for one, was thrown into a whirlwind by the sheer loss. From the loss of lives due to injustices, the loss of lives and our normalcy because of COVID-19, to the loss of loved ones, to the loss of celebrities and those we admired. I lost my father-in-law, uncle, aunt, and dad, all within the past four months—my father-in-law and dad to COVID-19.

This is enough to cause anyone to want to retreat and give up. But I had a decision to make. Was I going to let life beat me, or was I going to pick up the pieces, take life by the horns, and charge forward? I’m happy to tell you I chose the latter. Listen, everyone has times in their life when things look desolate and depressing. Your situation may even seem to be a hopeless one. The world can feel like a scary place (especially now), and you can feel as if you’re all alone in the middle of it. But history has shown us that even in the worst of times, people have mustered up the strength to keep going and have chosen to be hopeful. So if you’re finding it hard to have faith that better times will come, here are five things you can hang on to.

Your Health

No matter what life crisis you’re going through, if you have your health, you're more wealthy than you know! In a world that’s been plagued by a pandemic and thousands of people dying every day, count yourself blessed! You might take it for granted, but being strong and healthy is probably your biggest asset in this season. Because of COVID-19 or other health issues, many people find themselves either in the hospital or living a substandard life because of their illness. So take care of your body, eat well, stay fit, so you can be positioned and ready for your next opportunity.

There’s Always Tomorrow

Just as sure as the sun sets each evening, rest assured, it will rise the next day. And with it comes the opportunity to start over again! Even the worst day comes to an end, and you get a chance to do better tomorrow. As the saying goes, ‘Life always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow’. Meditating over past failures is as pointless as worrying about the future. You can only deal with what is right in front of you. And whatever you find difficult to handle today, sleep on it, recalibrate, and go after it again the next day, with a fresh set of eyes. Annie said it best when she sang… The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow... because it always does.

You Are Full of Potential

More than you know! Do you believe you can live your best life? Do you think you can be successful, famous, prosperous, and happy? Or does it feel to you that success is only for a select few? Hear me when I tell you that all humans are born full of God-given potential, ready to be tapped into! The only thing stopping you from meeting your potential is you and the self-sabotaging beliefs you tell yourself, and the lies you hear from the enemy. Change your mindset from self-doubt to self-confidence, and you can do whatever you set your mind to. You’ll be surprised how this small shift can give you a big difference in your perspective. Don't worry, God doesn't expect you to go at it alone. He's there to assist you every step of the way.

Learn to Look on the Bright Side

It’s highly unlikely that everything in your life will go wrong at once. So learn to hang onto the good things in your life and be grateful. No matter what situation you find yourself in, it could always be worse than what it currently is. If you look for abundance, you will find it. If you look for good things, you’ll find that too. Practice looking for things to be thankful for, starting with being alive right now. And remember, hard times come and hard times go. But better times are just around the corner.

Challenges Make You Stronger

If you find yourself at a low point in your life or in a life crisis, remember that when you come out of it on the other side, you'll be stronger, smarter, and wiser than you were before. You will have learned things about yourself and what you’re capable of that would never have occurred to you before. And despite feeling defeated before, you can now hold your head up because you now have the victory; you made it! The best thing about situations like this is that you get to encourage someone else who may be going through the same thing.

I’ll admit, COVID-19 threw me for a loop. But I decided to get focused, so I could get clarity on exactly what I wanted out of my life, for my future. And the onslaught of losses for our family only fueled my desire to focus all my attention on what I wanted for my future... and what I didn't want. And I can tell you, what I didn't want was a life full of regrets and 'what ifs'. Besides, I wanted to create a future that my parents would be proud of. That's the least I could do for the life they provided me and the sacrifices they made.

I like to say that 2020 was my year in the ‘lab’. I mean, where else was I going? Everything was shut down, and we were stuck at home. But instead of going stir-crazy, I found myself creating new projects and completing old ones. Where I explored what brings me joy and sets my soul on fire. It's kind of strange, but oddly enough, despite this being a season of mourning, it has become a season of rejoicing for me (all by the grace of God, of course). Rejoicing because I'm growing and stretching myself beyond my boundaries, and I can see the possibilities and they blow my mind, but most of all, because the family members we lost are at peace now. And that makes me smile.

With that said, I’m excited to announce that as of January 4, 2021, I’ll be launching my NEW Membership Site, “Not Your Mother’s Mid-Life”. A membership site for women 40 and beyond. A way to get your hands on some great resources at a fraction of the cost. I’m so excited about this one! You can get ALL the details here. AND... drumroll please, the biggest one of them all... I finally completed my first novel, “The Roots of Roswell”. This one is my baby ya'll! The book I’ve been working on for about five years now. I’m so proud of this work! You can read an excerpt and preorder your copy here.

For your 2021, my wish for you, is that you take all the pain, sorrow, hurt, and disappointment from 2020, and let it propel you to become the person God anointed you to be. So here's to a new year and a new you! May your 2021 be blessed, and may you experience the goodness of the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, 1 Timothy 4:15, Proverbs 4:15, Romans 15:13

Having a blast serving Him,