Hope, Worn Well

Hope.

It’s more than a thought…more than an emotional “wish”.

I believe Hope is motivation and a choice in action… the choice to make changes – even slight adjustments. It’s perseverance that sees growth in those changes.

Hope is the result of intentionality and creating neuroplasticity.

Excuse me…Neuroplasticity…say what!?

I can hear my kids now: “Mommmm. You’re making up words, again!”

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I was raised by a single woman who thought she was done raising the last of her six kids, when she decided she could open her heart and home to my older sister and me. I was seven when I entered into her world – and what a wonderful new world, it was – compared to the old one!

Forget all the “hard stuff” I’d already gone through – and the other “hard stuff” I would eventually walk into. What sticks out to me is a woman who became the mold I tried to fit into for years…to this day, I try.

A woman of faith. A woman of perseverance. A woman who showed up, even when it was hard. She knew, “better days – better moments – were ahead”. So, she wrapped herself up in Hope – a cloak, if you will, made up of fine threads of perseverance and faith. She wore it well…

She wore it well after she broke her back… after her mastectomy… after her stroke. You see, in her Hope to move forward and beyond all the “hard stuff”, she gained the ability to recover – to learn new skills – adapt to new experiences. She retrained her motor skills, created new habits. All the while, her brain began to reorganize senses – touch, smell, hearing, and sight.

This, friends, is neuroplasticity! It’s the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections – allowing us to adapt to new experiences, learn new skills, and recover from injuries. How cool is that!

The most rewarding way my Grandma was able to implement ‘Neuroplasticity’, was by intentionally engaging in HOPE… embracing motivation and choosing action.

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In my own trials, I try daily to live in HOPE. I need to. I have a wonderful reminder of what that looks like in my Grandma. It’s important to say, I’m not looking for a full recovery – that’s a rarity in any injury to the body. What I seek in HOPE, is with intentional action, my body will find and experience better days – with new ways of coping and doing things.

That’s it. Plain and simple…

Or, if I may (since I consider myself to be the Analogy Queen): If I play the lottery, do you think I’d be mad if I didn’t win the million – and only won $100,000? Of course I’d have a moment of, ‘Ugh – I didn’t get the million’…but I’d just as quickly be incredibly happy about the $100,000! Thing is – in my HOPE to “win”, I had to take action to win anything….because Hope without action is just a dead wish.

I think it’s safe to say, most of us dabble in HOPE daily, at least weekly. Some of us barely touch it because it seems easier said than done; I get it.  But ask yourself, “what’s my motivation?” – “who’s my motivation?”… then ask yourself, “OK, now what’s the first – or easiest step to put this into action?”…and choose action.

That’s HOPE – born and thriving.

Please let us know if you desire action. There are ways we can help you learn how to navigate life with whatever symptoms you’re dealing with –  and still love life!

Don’t stay stuck… Let HOPE move you, today, and let us walk alongside you on the journey towards a meaningful, sustainable life.

Yours Truly,

Izzy