Instilling Hope..Where to Start.

One of the biggest challenges in recovery is being able to instill hope.  Hope is the motivator for any and all action steps.  So, how do we unleash this most valuable tool?

In my 35 years of experience working with all disability or ability groups, as I like to call them, I have found that if you want to see that little light of hope, it must be accompanied with a tangible empowerment skill.  No matter how small, the connection to any possibility of empowerment is the start of letting the 'hope' in.

There is truth in the following statement:  “Thoughts become words and words become actions".

I believe that the first place we start with instilling hope is to make a connection with people and the next order of business is to join with them and help them to develop empowerment tools that start the positive thought process.

A quote from Jim Rhon: "Ideas can be life-changing.  Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea. "

All goals are achieved because you thought about it;  visualized it; and then from these thoughts ,you are able to plan action steps to achieve it.   Most people who experience hopelessness, can't get past negative automatic thoughts...... or "nats" as they have been referred to.  I believe that teaching, ‘re framing’ these thoughts is the first  empowerment tool that  starts to teach/show, the  person that there may be another way to view their situation.

It is only with a positive "view” that hope begins to take on a life of its own.  If I can see it, I can believe it principle.

 CATS means Catching Automatic Thoughts Swiftly... Teach to challenge and re-frame all negative thoughts.

Once we get the thoughts more positive, then we can instill other action skill steps that empower.

For example; if a person is suffering from extreme anxiety, it is not helpful to just tell them about  anxiety management ...but  rather  teaching  them an actual  intervention that  assist  them is  empowerment...giving  them the  empowerment to know that they can have an  impact for their  well-being.Show them that walking may be a useful tool,teach them the relaxation response. Explain that too much sugar and caffeine and  diet may be a trigger ect. ect. All these skills are skills they can implement, focus on and make a positive impact on their wellness. When you teach skills, you invite participation. Life is not a spectator sport, and there is no chance to change the game if your not playing. 

      There is nothing as hopeless as the feeling, that you have no voice or control.Education and action step skills teaching is empowerment and it is what opens the window to hope. When   people can learn to empower themselves, to have management tools to improve their thoughts, they can then also have empowerment tools to support whole health and start to feel better.  To be Able to implement skills that support whole health recovery promote hope, and change. In summary:  Engage, educate and help redirect thoughts to the positive and then help to implement empowerment action steps.

We have to provide skill power until the person can then implement the motivation, support of others, discipline and 

will-power.

"If someone is going down the wrong road, he does not need motivation to speed him up.  What he needs is education to turn him around.” - Jim Rhon
Louise P. Sterling C.P.R.P.
5/12/2012