Hope Boulevard by J. Hope Suis

Life is a series of moments. Usually good ones, with the occasional unfortunate one thrown in to keep us on our toes. 
The problem is, we often fail to appreciate the positive ones and often dwell on the bad ones. Or worse, focus on ones that haven't even happened yet and convince ourselves they will be of the negative variety.  We create battles to fight while living in peaceful times. 
That is so joy inhibiting and causes a great deal of the stress we all claim daily in our lives. 
A conscious effort is needed to break this damaging cycle. 
Here are my suggestions on how to help. 
Be True To Yourself
I've said this before, you are the only you there will ever be. 
You may have made mistakes, but you are NOT a mistake. 
You may have failed, but you are NOT a failure. 
You have a purpose. You deserve joy and love. 
You also deserve to be true to the person you believe yourself to be. There will be those who wish to guide us; parents, teachers, loved ones. This is a good and h…

I had a someone recently tell me that our friendship was forever and would last until one of us died - That no one got out alive.
At first, it seemed like an unusual statement, but as I thought about it, it was actually quite sweet. 
Then I carried the thought one step further. 
When it comes to this thing called LIFE - none of us get out alive! 
We all enter this world with a set number of days. Unfortunately, we are not given that exact number from the start. And everyone's number is different. We all know of someone who has left way too soon. 
My point here is not to have anyone stress about the number of their days. There is not much we can do about it anyway. But it is my goal to encourage you to make the most out of the ones you have left!
And how do we go about doing that? Let's look at a few things. 
Accept Yourself
So many of us spend way too much time worrying about what other people think of us. We judge ourselves based on standards seen in the entertainment industr…

Millions of people up and down the east coast were glued to The Weather Channel or their local weather app this past week trying to track the unpredictable journey of Hurricane Dorian.

As it approached a particular area, all the residents were encouraged to get ready. Board houses. Collect supplies. Evacuate.

Then brace for impact.

The simple definition of impact is the force (or impression) of one thing to another. In the case of a hurricane, it is destructive winds and rain colliding with people and homes and the underlying effects.

Impacts do not have to be destructive, however. In the context of our lives and our personal journey, we have many opportunities for beautiful and long-reaching impacts. Often times even without our knowledge.

Let me share a quick true personal story with you.

Many (many) years ago, while still in high school, I went out for a bit with a sweet guy named Preston.

I can't honestly say I remember every conversation or date in detail, and I'm not ev…

There is a popular saying that goes “Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations.” And there are multiple wise sayings about detours and unexpected journeys. While there is inspiration in these words, the bottom line is this: It is no fun being lost. That scary feeling where nothing around you looks familiar and you have no idea where to turn next. Even if the scenery around you is beautiful, you can’t enjoy it because of the frantic search to find your bearings. This fear is intensified if you are lost at night. Most everything seems worse in the dark. It is one thing to be lost physically, but often in life, we find ourselves emotionally adrift and alone in the dark and not really sure what to do next. I know I have found myself in that situation before. It all begins wonderfully. You have a known starting point and a final destination; which could be a degree, career, marriage, family, personal goal or even retirement. You don’t know all the twist and turns, or what you ma…