Holistic Recovery from Schizophrenia: The job of hope
Hope is a job, not an amorphous entity that's always beyond our eager grasp. This reality was underscored recently when I enrolled in the Family Healing Together course, "Recovering our Hope."
I used to have a misconception about hope. I thought it was something that you went to church to pray to get, or something that people say when what they really mean is that hope is lost. "Well, there's always hope," people will say, and you know right then and there that the hope vessel is sunk.
What does it look like? Well, here's an example. Maybe you are worried that your son or daughter will never, never, ever, be able to put the pieces of his or her life together, because some part of his or her recent behavior has caused you to doubt. Maybe it's yet another missed appointment or not being able to get out of bed in the morning. Maybe it's a lack of concrete achievements or crippling self-doubt. Maybe it's all of that or something else.
So, you start by reframing - turning your own negative perceptions into something positive, because if you look closely, you will see that your relative is making choices and perhaps even moving forward in some crazy way that eludes you. You may realize that there is something you can offer them that helps them flourish. It comes from YOU.
Here's one such positive perspective from the course, which is post-it note worthy:
"Suspend judgement and consider the possibility that even your most outlandish hopes can not only nourish you, but can also help you flourish."
lizclarke November 23, 2013 at 5:45 PM
Hope is what got me where WE are today, and I am a firm believer in its power.
It's amazing how hope, really understood, is so liberating.
Thanks for underscoring.
We see eye-to-eye on this subject - the importance of hope. I love this verse. It speaks volumes, IMO:
"Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love." - St. Paul
Thanks, Duane. These words are timeless.