Hopeful.

Is it me or are we all completely exhausted? Sure, we've been in the throes of a pandemic for what seems like a decade, but that's just part of it. 

Let's put COVID aside for a sec....

I honestly feel like I wake up each day, go through the motions, then collapse in bed every night feeling like I've been through the wringer, wake up and do it all over again. Physically I am fine, thankfully. Mentally and emotionally, I am not. I can't help but think that even if the pandemic ended tomorrow, we are never going to be the same again as a society. EVER. So much has changed in the past 2 years that cannot be undone. There are clear divides among us. There is extreme intolerance and a total absence of patience. Humans have become skeptical of everything - kindness, intentions, words. Trust and empathy seem to be things of the past. We are in a dark place.

It's every man for himself. And I'm sure I just offended everyone but "man", because I wasn't inclusive. Yet something else we have to worry about. We've become afraid to speak for fear of leaving someone out, offending someone, or causing an argument because someone didn't agree. And guess what, social media is using that fear, exacerbating it and, as my mama would say, "laughing all the way to the bank". 

I have stopped paying attention to the news. Like most of the world, I am immersing myself into any series or movie that is as far from our reality that I can find. And if it even looks close to what we're dealing with, I move on. Sorry Keifer, as much as I loved 24, I can't stomach another pandemic. Jack Bauer's weapons package and convenience of everything being just "15 minutes away" won't save us from the hell we are in right now. Love Island UK, it is! 

But once back to reality, I realize that the dark cloud of doom that hovers over us is not going away anytime soon nor the feeling of dread of "what's next"? So what can we do to make a change? I don't know about you, but for me, I know I need to start chipping away at this shell of a person that I've personally become; the one going through the motions and find the human God sent me to be. Despite everything that has beaten us down, I still very much believe in hope. I still very much believe in kindness. I still very much believe in love. We are united in our human race and we all have what it takes to find these key ingredients that make up the start of a shift in the paradigm. It has nothing to do with religion, politics, or your stance on vaccinations. It's basic human-being stuff. I see glimpses of it around me, but we need more. We need these stories to be louder than the ones of hate. Hope, kindness and love are the glue to the divide and the antidote to hate.

I challenge you. 

When the noise begins to quiet around you, find one of those ingredients, begin to nurture it and let it grow into something that begins to change your perspective; something that guides you to make different decisions for yourself. Let it lead you to see a glimmer of positivity, relief, happiness. If even for a moment. It's a reminder of what is good. Why we are truly here. The differences we can make, big and small. 

It is time we refuse to be numb & indifferent and start fueling our daily energy from the heart. I am starting today with a hope so grand, so overwhelming that it spreads fiercely and relentlessly, breaking through the divides of religious beliefs, politic affiliation, age, race, gender, vaccination status. 

And if you read this, I hope you feel it. 💗

#hopeful