Your Daily Dose of Hope

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Anne Lamott When our world seems full of challenges and uncertainty, hope can feel like something that once ran smoothly but has mysteriously crashed. Because hope isn't simply optimism or wishful thinking; it's the engine that powers meaningful change and resilience. Like restarting a computer, we sometimes need to pause, clear our mental cache, and intentionally choose to begin again. Rebooting hope begins with small, deliberate actions.

It’s tempting to think of certain seasons as “in between.”As if life hasn’t fully started yet, or as if the real story is waiting somewhere ahead. But what if this season isn’t a pause before life begins, what if it’s laying the foundation for what comes next? Hope changes when you realize that nothing is wasted. The patience you’re learning now.The boundaries you’re practicing.The self-awareness you’re developing. These things are quietly shaping your future even if you can’t see how yet. You don’t need to force clarity.You don’t need to rush answers.You don’t need to compare your now to a future that hasn’t arrived. Trust that this season is doing important work beneath the surface. Hope lives in that trust.Hope grows in the belief that where you are is preparing you for where you’re going. And today right now, you are exactly where you need to be.

Staying present isn’t always easy. Sometimes it means facing feelings you’d rather avoid or sitting with uncertainty instead of distracting yourself with “what’s next.” These days we often choose to numb out scrolling on our phones or playing an online game.  But choosing to live in the moment is one of the bravest things you can do. It says: I trust that this season has value, even if I don’t fully understand it yet. Hope grows when you allow yourself to be where your feet are. When you stop rushing ahead emotionally and let today be enough. Living in the moment doesn’t mean settling.It means grounding. Grounding yourself in what’s real gives you steadiness. And from that steadiness, possibility becomes clearer. You can still want more while appreciating what is.You can still dream while honoring the present.Those things are not opposites. They are companions.  They both serve you when you stay in the here and now.  Today, notice one thing that’s good right now.One moment that doesn’t need improvement.One breath that reminds you you’re still here, and still becoming. Hope doesn’t demand certainty.It asks for presence. That’s how hope will find you.

One of the quickest ways to drain hope is by measuring your life against someone else’s timeline, or against an imaginary version of where you think you should be. But life isn’t linear. And progress doesn’t follow a single path. What looks like a delay from the outside might actually be preparation or positioning you for a better opportunity later. What feels like a detour might be protection.What seems quiet might be space for growth or looking at options.  You are not behind.You are in your chapter. This season might not look impressive. It might not come with applause or milestones that are easy to explain. But that doesn’t make it insignificant. Maybe this chapter is GREAT and you’re worried it won’t last. That’s why being present matters.  Some chapters are about learning or maybe they bring unlearning.Some are about recalibrating.Some are about rebuilding trust with yourself. Some are about leaning in on what’s working.  Hope shows up when you stop asking, why am I not further along?And start asking, What is this chapter giving me that is helpful? You don’t have to justify your pace.You don’t have to match anyone else’s progress.You don’t have to rush through your life.  Today, let hope remind you: your story is still being written. And this chapter, yes, even if  it’s not your favorite one, belongs exactly where it is.

Possibility doesn’t show up all at once.It rarely announces itself with certainty or guarantees. More often, possibility appears quietly, when you’re present enough to notice it. When your mind is stuck replaying the past or racing ahead to the future, you miss what’s available right now. It’s like  that time you drove somewhere thinking about a something that’s bugging you and you get where you’re going and you don’t remember anything about the drive.  When we aren’t present, we miss things.  And hope lives in the present moment, not in the stories we tell ourselves about what should have happened by now. Living in the moment doesn’t mean giving up on dreams or goals.It means recognizing that today is the only place where change can actually begin. Where you are, in this moment. This moment holds choices.This moment is where you can find clarity.This moment holds the next small step. You don’t have to figure out the whole path. You only need to stay open to what’s in front of you. Hope grows when you ask, What’s possible today?Not next year. Not when everything is perfect.Today. Maybe today’s possibility is rest. Maybe it’s a conversation. Maybe it’s allowing yourself to feel proud of how far you’ve come, even if you’re not where you want to be yet. Presence creates space.Space creates possibility.And possibility is where hope begins to breathe again. So if your mind starts drifting toward comparison or impatience, gently bring it back. Right here is enough. Right now is meaningful. And this moment still has something to offer you.

Hope doesn’t live in the life you thought you’d have by now.It lives right here, inside the season you’re already standing in. We lose so much energy comparing what is to what we imagined life would look like at this point.More clarity. Maybe you felt like you’d have it all figured out by now.   More success. Many of us are always looking for the next achievement. A bigger house, a newer car and that’s okay  but what if we can also love where we are and what we have right now?  More certainty would be great. Knowing for sure exactly what will work out, and that all our decisions turn out as we plan.  But hope doesn’t grow in comparison.It grows in awareness. Every season of life carries its own work. Some are about building and growing and first time ever experiences. Others are about waiting, being content with what is. Some are about healing, releasing, or learning how to be gentle with yourself again. And none of them are wrong. If this season feels quieter than you expected, maybe it’s asking you to listen.If it feels slower, maybe it’s asking you to have a bit of patience.If it feels uncertain, can you lean into your capacity to trust? You don’t need to rush through this chapter to earn the next one. Hope is strengthened when you stop resisting where you are and start asking, what is this season trying to show me? Not everything needs fixing.Not every pause is a problem.Not every delay is a failure. Sometimes hope looks like honoring the truth of now instead of chasing a version of life that only exists in your head. Today, take a breath and remind yourself:This season matters.You matter here.And possibility hasn’t passed you by, it’s still unfolding, right where you are.

The day-after-Christmas invitation we all need: embrace ease. My mantra for a couple months has been “let it be easy” and today is the perfect day to do just that. You have permission to slow down and let hope show up.

A short, warm Christmas Day reflection on the small surprises that bring unexpected joy. It’s the moments that remind us that goodness can appear without planning or perfection.

From cozy rituals to wonderfully weird family traditions, today’s episode celebrates familiar moments. Messy or magical they have a way of keeping us hopeful in connection, and joy.

Today we explore how even the tiniest joys on the horizon can lift your spirit. Anticipation is hope in disguise and sometimes all you need is one good thing waiting for you.

A fun, uplifting reminder that the act of getting ready—wrapping, prepping, anticipating—can spark its own kind of hope. Joy is on the way, and today’s small preparations are proof.

There is deep hope in the decision to try again, not perfectly, but bravely. This episode explores how resilience, courage, and quiet persistence keep hope alive even when outcomes are uncertain. Trying again is a powerful reminder that effort is never wasted.

Hope often shows up in the smallest acts of kindness, a moment so simple it’s easy to miss. This episode highlights how unexpected generosity softens our days, restores faith in humanity, and creates ripples we may never fully see. Small kindnesses can change the emotional weather of an entire day.

Sometimes hope arrives not through changed circumstances, but through a shift in perspective. In this episode, we explore how fresh perspective creates space, restores possibility, and gently opens new paths forward. When the story in your mind shifts, even slightly, hope follows.

Being truly seen, without fixing, performing, or explaining, creates a unique and powerful kind of hope. This episode reflects on the quiet moments of connection that remind us we matter and belong. When we allow ourselves to be seen, we strengthen hope not only for ourselves, but for those around us.

Hope doesn’t always arrive with fireworks. Sometimes it begins quietly, in a small idea, a fresh start, or a simple decision to begin. In this episode, we explore how small beginnings carry powerful potential and why you don’t need proof or momentum to take the first step. Hope grows when we honor the start, not just the finish.

One of the simplest ways to show you care is to ask someone a genuine question about their life. Not to fill silence. Not to check a box. But to really see them. What are you excited about? What are you working on? What are you hoping for? These questions aren’t small talk—they’re small doors into someone’s world. And when you ask them with sincerity, something beautiful happens: people unfold. They soften. They brighten. They remember that what they feel and dream matters. Because thoughtful questions are more than curiosity. They’re an act of generosity. When you pause long enough to truly listen, you’re offering someone a moment of belonging—a moment where their hopes and struggles and in-between places are given space. You’re saying, “I’m here. Your life is worth paying attention to.” And here’s the hopeful part: Every time you offer this gift to someone else, you strengthen it within yourself too. You begin to notice your own sparks of excitement. You reconnect with what you’re working toward. You rediscover the hopes you’ve quietly tucked away. Hope grows when it’s shared. Hope deepens when it’s spoken aloud. Hope expands when someone feels safe enough to name it. So today, let your hope ripple outward in the simplest of ways: ask a question, listen with your whole heart, and allow someone else’s story to remind you that possibility is always alive and moving among us. A little attention goes a long, hopeful way.

Inspired by a beautiful reflection from Catherine Avery https://www.catherineavery.com/blog/ADHDholiday2025 Hope doesn’t always announce itself with big, bold energy. Sometimes, hope arrives  In her recent post, Catherine Avery shared how this season looks different for her. While the world is speeding up, she’s choosing to move more slowly. After the loss of her mother-in-law and a wave of unexpected emotions resurfacing at the ADHD Conference, she realized something many of us forget: grief doesn’t care about the calendar. Instead of pushing into “holiday mode,” Catherine is letting her season be simpler, softer, and more spacious. And there’s so much hope in that choice. Because hope isn’t just about believing things will get better—hope is also what gives us permission to do things differently right now. To simplify. To honor what we’re carrying. To celebrate in ways that feel true rather than expected. I recently had to move my mom to a place where she can get more support. It wasn’t completely unexpected, but I hadn’t planned for this to happen before the holidays either. I’ll still be able to spend Christmas with her and other family members, but it’s not going to be the same. That’s okay even with a bit of nostalgia for Christmas’ past. The Buddhist saying about attachment being the source of suffering comes to mind. Thinking that the holidays have to be celebrated in a specific way or adhering to traditions that don’t fit anymore, it’s the nudge that it’s time to reevaluate.   Hope invites us to choose calm over chaos, presence over pressure, being over doing. If this season feels tender for you, let hope remind you: you’re allowed to pause. You’re allowed to shift. You’re allowed to let this holiday look different. And sometimes, that gentle shift is the most hopeful act of all.

My friend Teresa and I share posts and memes we see online with each other. We have a similar sense of humor, and we also share similar outrage at things that are making the headlines.  Last week she sent a post and her comment was “maybe a little daylight is coming.” In response to a post about current events that had a hopeful list of good things that have happened lately.  I’m an optimist at heart, but I’m not immune from feeling overwhelmed at some of the things happening in the world. There are legitimate suffering, wars and conflicts as well as natural disasters that remind us that at anytime things can go haywire.  Still, the reminder from a friend that a little daylight showed up, some good news among the headlines made me smile.  It made me appreciate having a friend who knows me and encourages me, and it reminded me once again that hope shows up when we need it.  Not when things are perfect, but when we know that things can get better.  Here’s a short, hope-filled list you can use or adapt: The first warm day after a long stretch of cold A kind message arriving exactly when you needed it A small win that reminds you you’re making progress Laughter that surprises you in the middle of a hard week A plan on the calendar you’re quietly excited about The moment you realize something that once hurt now hurts a little less New ideas that make you feel curious again Rest that actually feels like rest Each of these is a quiet whisper of hope: good things are still unfolding.

This is from an email from Kelly Nolan, the host of the Bright Method Podcast. https://kellynolan.com/podcast If you struggle with that 5pm darkness, I wanted to share some tips from this community on how to make this time of year a bit brighter, pick and choose what sounds great and doable for you! Here are tips from other women: Embrace the cozy! "Fires in the fireplace! We chose our house specifically because it had a wood burning fireplace. It makes everything so cozy, and it also is something we only do when the weather gets cold so it’s something to look forward to in the cold/dark months up here in Alaska." "Cozy things like Hallmark movies, a faux fireplace, and candles when it's dark out" "We received a tea advent calendar last year. It allowed my husband and I to sit each evening and relax together. We started a cool weather tradition with it. So now that it's cooler, each night we make a cup of hot tea and sit and relax. It gives us something look forward to." "Leaning into autumn with hot chocolates" Getting outside: "Early morning walk" "I try to get outside and walk midday! As long as I can in the fall!" "Daily walks! And NOT reaching for cup after cup of coffee even when it’s still pitch black at school drop off " "I got a really really good down coat so that I can get outside as often as I want without discomfort!" Making the dark fun "Make the dark fun. To the extent that it's safe to do so... take walks under the moon, roast marshmallows on your grill, get breakfast for dinner at a diner. We lean into the dark and cold here because the alternative is fighting it and not winning. " "We got our young kids light sabers so we could continue our after dinner neighborhood walks" "On the nights we’re home, really embracing the dark with candles, dimmed lights, etc." And some more tips! "Using my SAD lamp like there’s no tomorrow" "A fall bucket list! Having small things to look forward to as a family is so life giving! And, in a perfect world for me as a south Florida girl who was raised in Colorado, I just get so excited to be able to enjoy the weather outside again" Embracing the season brings hope along with the reminder that the short, dark days of winter don’t last. Find a way to have a few go-to rituals that remind you to celebrate and appreciate today.