Once again I am joining Deepak and Oprah for a free 21 day meditation experience. This new meditation series is Hope in Uncertain Times where Oprah and Deepak will teach me to find hope in the core of my being to help me discover my strength, clarity and purpose. Feel free to follow me on my journey or sign up so you can join me.

Hope in Uncertain Times – Turning Doubt and Uncertainty into Hope

Taking responsibility for your own life opens the way for hope to support you. Write down three recent events that have been difficult for you. Then, shut your eyes and envision each one, taking a few deep breaths if there is emotional charge around them. Say to yourself, “That’s where I was then. I am in a new place now.” Write down how your new place feels. For example, I am not as angry, I don’t feel resentful anymore, the hurt is getting better. In this way, you accept where you are now rather than dwelling on the past.

1) When we moved in December it was very stressful and Nick and I didn’t handle it well. We took our stress out on each other and I was very angry with him for things he said and did during this time.

We have since managed to talk about it and agreed that we both should have handle it with a little more maturity and respect for each other. I’m no longer angry and have put it behind me.

2) In late January/early February I realized I was depressed and began feeling resentment of others who I thought had more freedom and time than I did.

At the end of March when I realized this I made a plan to spend more time on self-care and made a plan to do some of the things I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

3) Recently we’ve had some financial things come up that were not expected and it made my anxiety really bad.

When these things came up and I started to feel anxious I took a deep breath and told myself that the only way past this is to go through it. I’ve began to learn that I can’t stop these unexpected hardships but I can handle them better by staying calm and collected.

When things aren’t going your way at work or in a relationship, what is your reaction? These are periods of uncertainty, difficult times when things are in transition. Journal about such a situation and your typical reaction. Now take a breath and connect to your creative core self, and imagine a different reaction that would allow you to feel hopeful and capable. Write down this reimagined outcome.

When things don’t go my way I get frustrated. I once read that frustration is caused by unmet expectations. One thing that has been frustrating to me is that my husband and I can’t agree on buying a house. We get to the point where we are going to start the process and then something happens and we pull back. It’s frustrating because I am the type of person that just wants to make a plan and stick with it.

I think my reaction should be more quizzical than frustrated. Why do we always start the process but fail to complete it? What is the real reason we are afraid to commit? I think if we looked at the root of the problem we could come up with a solution.

An attitude of openness makes every day hopeful, while expectations close the door. Describe three things you feel uncertain about at work, in your relationships, or in the world at large. For each one, write down your expectations, both good and bad. Now read these over and say to yourself, “I am open to any possibility. I release my expectations and let go of them.”

1) I’m uncertain about my living situation. Our new lease ends in August and I don’t know if the new landlord will renew it for another 12 months.

My expectations are that the landlord will probably renew and it will be fine but if they don’t I don’t know what we will do.

2) I’m uncertain about my kids schooling. Odin has never thrived in a public school setting and we have put Gray into alternative schooling thus far. Nick and I now need to decide if we want to keep Odin in the public school system and have Gray join him or if we want to pull Odin out and have the kids go to an alternative school.

My expectations for the kid’s school is that if we keep Odin in the public school that he will not thrive and it will be an uphill battle for the rest of his school career and that Gray may face those same problems. I’m also concerned that if I put the kids into alternative schooling that I won’t be able to meet the volunteer hours or that I won’t be able to help the kids enough and they won’t be successful because of me.

3) I’m uncertain about the world I live in. I’m more than a little worried that World War 3 is upon us. With everything that is going on in the Middle East, Brexit, Trump as president and a whole slew of other problems it just feels like something bad is just around the corner all the time.

My expectations are the Trump is going to fuck this whole thing up. He so stupid and knows absolutely nothing about anything that has to do with politics and we’re all going to die because of that moldy orange butthole.