Hitting the Wall

No matter how well you manage your job search, there are times when you "hit the wall" emotionally. Out of nowhere, this feeling creeps up on you and then all of a sudden you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, angry, and frustrated. Worry becomes the feeling for not only this day but every day. What happened to the hopeful, confident person you were last week? The longer the job search, the stronger the chances are you may "hit the wall" once again. So how do you overcome these negative feelings and find your way back to HOPE?

I read a book by Wayne Dyer where he quoted, "I can choose peace, rather than this." The most important word in this statement is CAN not maybe but CAN. When you are faced with circumstances that cause you distress, say these words to yourself over and over again. Make the decision that you CAN turn this around and find the courage and strength you need to continue the journey. Mr. Dyer also writes that we need to look at our lives as if it were a white canvas. From the moment of our birth, we are surrounded by the ultimate light, God's presence and grace. Throughout the years, small blobs of shadow drift across the landscape and stick to the canvas. Your shadow blob may be job loss, financial issues, struggling relationships anything that needs a place to land. When we let these shadows stick, soon there is more shadow than there is light (liken to an eclipse of the sun). After a while, the presence of God's light is diminished so it is merely a pinhole. It takes a conscious effort to mentally remove these blobs from the canvas, pulling one by one and tossing them back to where they came from. Soon the canvas begins to look differently, there is more light and the presence of God once again returns.

You CAN choose to leave the shadows on your canvas of life and live in the gloom, it's an easy choice to make; it takes no effort, or you CAN choose to remove the shadows which takes a great deal of work and live in HOPE. When you can't handle the blobs on your own, seek emotional and/or spiritual support through the Discover HOPE listening team. Lean on us and we will be there to help you carry the burdens of your journey.

Finding happiness in the small stuff

Recently I read a book that listed thousands of personal moments from childhood to adulthood that brought happiness to the writer. I didn't think it would be that difficult to create my own list which is what I did while waiting in a doctor's office. No it wasn't that long a wait because my list was only 4 pages long. I started to think about my job search and the frustration, anxiety and worry that are present everyday. Then I concentrated on the moments when I remembered feeling happy and every time I experienced that particular thing whatever it was; the feeling of happiness came rushing back. I challenge you to write your own list, while you are having a cup of coffee or sitting on the deck, think about your life and relive those happiness moments. Reflect on that list, read it again and again. It is more difficult to be happy that it is to be unhappy. Don't be surprised if you end up with more than 4 pages, maybe you will be the next one to write a book how to find happy moments in the small stuff. Here are a few of mine:

Sled riding on cardboard
Learning to blow a bubble
Riding a bike with no hands
Drive in movies $1 night
Eating brownie batter out of the bowl
Seeing the space shuttle launch every time
A perfect hair day
Jumping in puddles
Passing a drivers test
Scent of a baby
Holding your child for the first time
Seeing your child graduate from college
Paying off college loans
Receiving an unexpected gift or award
Listening to the sound of your child's voice
Walking through the woods in the fall
Penny candy
Being picked for a sports team
Finding a job after losing one
Helping someone get a job
Watching a sunset with your spouse and a glass of wine on the beach