"As long as you are still breathing, you are not as far gone as you think. You may be deep in the valley, but you can also be deeply rooted in hope."

Take heart. Breathe deep. You are not as far gone as you think. You may feel a little lost, but that does not mean all hope is lost. You are still being guided right where you need to be.

No matter how deep you have gone into the valley, may you know that there is still hope to be found there. Even if it doesn’t seem as prevalent as it used to be, hope is still available to you.

Remember this when your plans have fallen through. Remember this when you are lost in a sea of debt or responsibilities that seem impossible to get out of. There might not be an easy way to make all of your worries magically disappear, but there is a way to open your eyes and see that in the most uncertain place, there is still freedom to have hope.

As adults, sometimes “having hope” can feel a bit naive. The idea of anticipating that something good is going to happen even though we’ve seen so many things go wrong can feel reckless and immature. So much of our adult lives are spent preparing for the future, and this often centers on things that could go wrong. From the time we are young, many of us are taught to always have a Plan A and Plan B when it comes to our career choices. We are encouraged, and even pressured to get into relationships or be a part of certain groups so we don’t end up alone or viewed as outsiders. Even when it comes to marketing and advertising, we are bombarded with messages of what we need to buy in order to prevent something from going wrong in our lives.

There is nothing wrong with adequately preparing for all possible outcomes, but often times, we forget to prepare for the best outcomes, too. We forget that the amount of time we spend preparing for the worst doesn’t have to outweigh the time we spend preparing for the best. Even when all of the odds are stacked against us, and we cannot imagine how we could ever get out of this low place, we still have every right to have hope. We still have every right to trust that tomorrow could be better, and take whatever action we can to show that we truly believe that.

As long as you are still breathing, you are not as far gone as you think. You may be deep in the valley, but you can also be deeply rooted in hope. You might encounter people that tell you it’s too late for you. You might have moments throughout the day where you are reminded of the all the times you failed. But that doesn’t take away from the well of hope that is stirring inside you, waiting to be ignited, right here where you are.

Take deep breaths today. Take some time to complete this statement:

“Amidst everything I am going through, I still hope that _______.”

Write it down. Reflect on it. Remember to believe that you are allowed to have this hope. It doesn’t mean that everything is going to come together in the way you want it to or in the timeframe you thought it would, but one thing hope does is this: it strengthens you. It strengthens your soul right here in the valley, all while you are still being guided right where you need to be.

More tomorrow…
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols