As you are about to enter into 2023, it is the perfect time to reflect on this past year, to dream up goals for the upcoming months, and to get excited for new beginnings. It is time to reset, regroup, and recharge.
If your hope was lost in 2022, I believe that it can be found in 2023.
Hope is defined as “an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.” If you do not have hope, what do you have? Despair, doubt, or fear?
When you feel weighed down by life, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you feel that way, I am here to tell you that there is a way out! The new year can be your starting point of finding the hope that you have never experienced before. And if you don’t know where to go, start with coming to the Bus of Hope.
You may not be feeling particularly excited about the calendar hitting January 1, 2023. You may feel unmotivated, lonely, or hopeless because it is just another day of life that you are going through the motions.
Friend, if that is you, I want you to know that there is hope for your days ahead. This life is shorter than our brains can even comprehend. Our time on Earth is as brief as the mist appears in the morning before it vanishes. So, may we count each day as a blessing and look at every breath as a precious gift- because it is!
One way to find hope in the new year is to set goals and work towards them. This can give you a sense of purpose and direction, and help you to focus on the things that are important to you.
Another way is to surround yourself with positive, supportive people who inspire you and encourage you to keep going, even when the going gets tough.
Finally, finding hope can also involve finding ways to give back to others and make a positive impact on the world around you. Whether it's volunteering your time, donating to a good cause, or simply offering a helping hand to someone in need, these acts of kindness can help to renew your sense of hope and purpose.
This evening, December 31st, 2022, when the clock turns to midnight, what will you do to make the next 8,760 hours count? There is hope in the new year.