As I was writing about finding hope, I had to acknowledge that some people may be finding that particularly difficult right now. If you happen to be someone who's really struggling to find any source of hope, confidence, or courage– here's what I learnt about building those up.
I know what it’s like to not believe in the commonplace encouragements that we are often told about things working themselves out. I know just how hard it is to find the courage to believe it will all be okay. That comes from knowing too many reasons to believe that hope doesn’t work. When you keep hearing things like “hold on” or “just wait”, and so far, the only thing time has given you is more examples of these affirmations not working, then hearing those pieces of advice can be detrimental and exhausting. It makes the prospect of hope seem even further and more unlikely.
Those messages (“hold on”, “just wait”...) are correct, and they are positive things to keep saying, but I also know there are a lot of people who are past that point.
To anyone who feels that time seems like an enemy that is going to bring you more difficulty, having the hope to believe time will bring good will require some dedication in building courage.
We need to know how to find that courage even when we can’t see it growing. We need the proof that the simple existence of our own selves is enough. So how do we find that confidence? How do we build that when it feels there’s nothing to build from?
If you are someone who feels you have no victories to celebrate and therefore nothing to use as proof that you can do hard things, you should know there’s a foundation of success you can grab ahold of. Use the fact that time is hard, and that you’re succeeding to exist within it as that initial starting place.
You’re existing, and that is hard for you…That takes courage. That means, you have courage. The fact that you have courage means you have something to be confident about. Your confidence means you have proof that there is hope.
So, if you need to build courage and confidence from nothing, know you have a place to start from. If time is a battle for you, remember it’s a battle you’re winning. And, if it seems like time has been a battle for too much time already and you’re frustrated– know that you have even more to be proud of. As you exist through time, you can create the hope to create more time with the knowledge that time is made from courage and hope.