When I was a child, I went through a phase of being very negative. Chalk it up to a difficult season, temperament, tween year angst—I am not sure. But I definitely had a time when what went through my mind and came out of my mouth was not the most positive. People around me noticed and of course did not respond favorably. After this went on for a while, I decided I wanted people to be happy to see me and I was also tired of feeling miserable myself.

I decided to start making sure my statements were positive. I did not lie about how I was feeling or what I was thinking. However, I was careful to make statements that still considered the positive side of things even when expressing frustration, hurt or sadness. I started acknowledging both the good and the hard. This took time and mentally and emotionally felt like building a muscle. But, I did it.

In short, positivity became for me a discipline. I would like to suggest that for some of us, hope is also a discipline. Unless you are a glass half-full, “sunshiny” all the time type of person, hope may be a muscle you need to build. A good place to start may be with radical acceptance.  Radical acceptance is an intervention used in Dialectal Behavioral Therapy. Marsha Linehan created Dialectal Behavior Therapy and said this: “Radical acceptance rests on letting go of the illusion of control and a willingness to notice and accept things as they are right now, without judging.” She breaks it up into three parts: (1) accepting the reality is what it is, (2) accepting that the event or situation causing pain has a cause, and (3) accepting life can be worth living even with painful events” (www.psychologytoday.com). 

I propose that radical acceptance is a wonderful lens through which to view political issues. We can accept things the way they are and still believe life is worth living. Furthermore, we can engage in small behaviors that give us purpose and engender hope. If you are concerned about homelessness, serve in a soup kitchen. If you are worried about illiteracy, become an after-school reading buddy for elementary children. Have conversations with people who are different from you to learn about their experiences and perspectives. Do small things that make a difference to keep hope alive.

Hope is a fuel we must have to press forward in a polarized nation. It is not something whimsical floating by that we pluck from the sky like a dandelion. Hope is gritty. It is hard. It is a discipline we must practice until it no longer feels like discipline, but just becomes part of our psyche.

If you are struggling with depression or hopelessness, we can help. Our experienced Winter Garden therapists can support you as you learn the skills you need to become the best version of you. Please contact Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed mental health counselors.