A few weeks ago, we talked about making space for pain during the holidays, and that’s really important. I tried to do a good job of that this year, and I hope you did, too. Now that the holiday season is over, though, the struggle for many does not stop. It might be different: less sharp and immediate, more throbbing and below the surface. But it’s still there.

Maybe you feel the weight of the world’s problems on your shoulders. Maybe it’s discontentment with where you are or the fact that your circumstances haven’t changed much since this time last year. Or concern about whether you’re where you’re supposed to be. Maybe it’s confusion about what you want this year to look like. Or maybe it’s a pain that you feel deep down in your soul, though you can’t quite put it into words yet.

Whatever the situation looks like right now, I want you to know that if you’re struggling in this new year, there is still space for you.

The new year is meant to be a time of hope. A time to look forward to exciting things ahead. A time to get motivated and make that change you’ve always wanted to make. And for some, it is.

But if that’s not where you are this new year, that’s okay. This time is for you, too.

Aside from simple recognition, I’d also like to offer you one other thing in this post: an opportunity to find hope in the small things. Because even though our circumstances sometimes seem bleak, and even though it isn’t always easy to see it, there is always a reason to hope.

It might seem like a small thing, but hope can often mean the difference between wallowing in despair and finding a way through the darkness. Even the smallest bit can remind us that things won’t always be this way. That they can be better. That they will be better in time, if we’ll only hold on to hope.

So this new year, here are a few things that I find hope in. I believe that you can, too.

I find hope in knowing that I’m not alone. There are people in this world who love me, who support me, and who want nothing but the best for me. And you’ve got people like that, too.
I find hope in believing in something bigger than myself. For me, that’s my faith and my dedication to making the world a better place for others. For you, it might be family, your pets, a cause you’re passionate about, or any number of other things. Regardless, we are all apart of something bigger than ourselves, and knowing that can give us hope.
I find hope in taking steps towards where I want to be. It might be something tiny like reading an article on a goal I want to accomplish, but at least it’s something. We each have a certain amount of agency to change our circumstances. It might take all you have just to take a tiny step, but even the smallest move in the right direction can be a source of hope.
I find hope in remembering the passion I’ve had for things I love in the past. If I felt that way before, I know I can again. So I look back on those days and look forward to the days when that fire comes back. We all know what it’s like to be passionate about something, and even just the promise of having that feeling return can be enough to get us started.
I find hope in investing in others. Even when I feel like I can’t help myself, I love being there for other people. Having a positive impact on the world gives me purpose. I don’t do it for me; I do it for them. But I usually find that I get more out of it than I could possibly have given.

Those are some the things that give me hope when I’m struggling, and I go to these sources often. Without them, I’m not sure where I’d be. If you need a little bit of hope in this new year, maybe you can find it in one of these places, too. I’d encourage you to try, because a little hope can go a long way.

That’s all for this blog post. Thank you for reading, and here’s to you having a new year full of hope, healing, and progress. I’ll see you next week.