Carl,

I am sorry to hear about your struggles. With a world and the upcoming generations becoming mroe self centered, we end up feeling like lone fish fighting a powerful upstream battle. The thing is that we do have these events of doubt and they can last a long time. We need to get out of our heads and our insecurities. This of course is easier said than done however if we find that little piece of hope, slowly, a silver lining can be achieved.

The way to do this is to think of three things at night to be thankful for. They don’t have to be big, for example last night my three things were 1) I had the ability to get out of bed (I work in a hospital and see many of my patients not being able to do the simple act of brushing their own teeth, so this is somethign I am very thankful for) 2) I am thankful I can make coffee (I am deployed and I just got a coffee maker and this simple little thing is a huge blessing that makes me feel like I’m at home) 3) I’m thankful I have this website to get inspiration. The three things to be thankful for can be simple, to complex and it helps you see the beauty in everyday encounters.

Another thing you should try is writing letter to yourself about what you are feeling, what you are doing, and where you would like to see yourself in a few weeks or months (goal setting. Keep this letter with you and read it 3 or 6 months later and see where you have improved areas of your life and identify strengths and weaknesses.

Modern day society makes us so self centered we rarely do anything but think about ourselves, try to do something for a stranger, again, simplicity is key. you can smile at a stranger, say hellow, give a compliment, or if you do want to make a difference, help out a stranger with a flat tire (etc.) or volunteer at a shelfter. If we think about the thigns around us and appreciate the beauty in each situation, hope begins to trickle in.

Keep your head up!
S. P