Finding hope

What’s giving you hope at the moment? What’s helping you put one foot in front of the other right now?

They’re questions I often ask clients during single sessions and assessments to help us identify what we can use and earlier today I found myself wondering when was the last time I asked that of myself?

Right now there’s a lot going on that’s out of our control.

I’ve talked in the past about accepting what we and can’t control in the world. If anything, since I wrote that back in December, the world out there has got even more challenging. The United States is becoming more and more authoritarian by the day. The genocide in Gaza is continuing despite widespread condemnation and our own government in the UK seems hell bent on targeting the people who most need compassion and kindness,

So how do we keep going? How can we put one foot in front of the other when it feels like the world is on fire?

Oftentimes it’s the small things. As  Peter Davison’s Doctor once said “small beautiful events are what life is all about.” It can be time with our families. A hug from friend. Maybe a precious hour to ourselves with a good book.

If I ask myself those questions right now as I sit here on the couch tonight on a dark October night, I can be inspired by other people. Who was it that said “look for the helpers?” Other people standing up and doing what’s right help me keep going when I sometimes feel like I have no gas left in the tank.

It’s also the next generation. Today’s queer kids are political like we’ve never had before and they’re going to change the world. As a volunteer, talking to them in our groups and seeing the compassion and support they have for the whole community and the drive to make things better is amazing.

So I want to put that out to you. Ask yourself what gives you hope right now? What keeps you going?

If you would like to talk to me about issues with your mental health, you can complete the online submission form or contact me directly at: mckellarCBT@gmail.com