I CONSIDER myself to be an optimist, I try and find the positive in every situation. This isn’t always easy. Especially at the moment with the war in Ukraine and hearing so many sad and terrifying stories of what is happening over there.

My dad used to tell me that ‘without hope, we have nothing’ and I really believe this. Having Hope is so good for your mental health too. It prevents your brain from dragging you down to the darkest depths of worrying and stressing about situations you have no control of.

It is easy to feel hopeless in certain situations. Times when you know you can’t do anything to help or change things.

Especially when it is other people facing difficulties, terror, worries etc. It is times like these that you need to take a breath. Understand that you are powerless to change things. This is where Hope comes in. Put your energy into hoping with all your heart that things can and will get better.

Whether we think about it or not, hope is a part of everyone’s life. Everyone hopes for something. It’s an inherent part of being a human being. Hope helps us define what we want in our futures and is part of the self-narrative about our lives we all have running inside our minds.

To have hope is to want an outcome that makes life better in some way. It not only can help make a tough present situation more bearable but also can eventually improve our lives because envisioning a better future motivates you to take the steps to make it happen.

Different people go through different kinds of struggle where they may feel that they are in a desperate situation. So, you could help them. You could help people find hope and become a beacon of life for them.

In order to give hope to others, become the kind of person who is full of hope for the future and then do not let others give up on hope. I hope you will succeed.

Finally, the situation in Ukraine is really terrible and I hope you will join me in wishing for a peaceful outcome. An end to the horrific shelling and cruelty to a country that just wants to live in peace.

I am not a political person; I don’t understand all the reasons for what is going on. To me it is just a horrific situation. My heart breaks for the people of Ukraine, especially the children.

See you again in two weeks! Until then – Stay Safe and Be Kind.

Trish Caller