Uniquely Yours Craft Journal

Dear Fellow Journalers,

There was a survey conducted recently that showed 57% of the respondents reporting “significant stress” about negative news reporting. There’s always been negativity in the world but it seems magnified to me lately. To someone undergoing “extreme stress” (loss of job, family issues, health problems) finding hope is, forgive me, “a joke.”

In order to move forward in your life, you need a hopeful attitude and Dr. Rosalind Tompkins founder of the National Month of Hope ( April) ) says that ” finding hope in everyday challenges is the first step in creating a solution. Here are some of her tips:

• Take a hope break.  Schedule 5 minute “hope breaks”  in your normal day. Find a quiet place and breathe in and out and think about good things happening instead of the worst scenarios.
• Set goals. Surround yourself with happy people who believe in you.
• Volunteer in your community or Church. Try reading to children or helping in a town-sponsored food pantry.
• Have a chat with someone who is in need of hope.
• Rather than “woe is me” share some hope signs from your life.

Karen Kingsbury (best-selling Christian author) wrote on her blog recently some ideas to help us.

1. Read a book (not necessarily one of her’s!)
2. Call a friend.
3. Play a game with your family.
4. Take a walk in the sunshine.
5. Hug more.
6. Journal (where have I heard that before??)
7. Do one thing each day to make someone else’s life better.

Her final comments on the post were:

” Life isn’t perfect. But if we don’t determine to choose joy, we can actually lose entire seasons worrying, fretting, riddled with anxiety. Days and weeks pass with nothing but bickering to mark our moments.

CHOOSE JOY.”

Have a joy-filled day,

~Sallie