\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.\u201d
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nHope Is The Key That Unlocks Freedom\u2019s Door<\/h2>\n
What is hope? I believe it is a deep sense of belief that something is possible, accompanied by a trust or faith in something or someone to help create its occurrence. With it we find freedom from our suffering. Without it we are encumbered by the fears that imprison us. We can always choose hope over fear, and therefore spiritual freedom over mental imprisonment. Remember, it\u2019s your choice.<\/p>\n
When tragedy strikes, some use it to inspire hope in the hearts of others.\u00a0In \u201cHow To Turn A Personal Tragedy Into A Triumph<\/a>,\u201d Jodie Gale says there have been lots of\u00a0inspirational people<\/a>\u00a0who have shown us that, even in the face of unthinkable tragedy, it is possible to find meaning from our suffering. She goes on to offer 11 ways to help us do this, including the suggestion that we read the following inspirational stories: \u201cThe Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela<\/a>,\u00a0Man\u2019s Search for Meaning<\/a>\u00a0by Viktor Frankl,\u00a0I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond<\/a>\u00a0by Don Yaeger,\u00a0A Child Called It<\/a>\u00a0by Dave Pelzer,\u00a0Gandhi: An Autobiography<\/a>\u00a0by Gandhi,\u00a0The Diary of Anne Frank<\/a>\u00a0by Anne Frank and\u00a0Left for Dead<\/a> by Samantha Barlow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gary Heavin, who together with his wife Diane founded Curves, the world\u2019s largest fitness franchise, says he had an epiphany while teaching a fitness class one day. In \u201cTurning Tragedy Into Triumph<\/a>,\u201d Heavin says that, while teaching his class, he suddenly realized that what has driven him all of his life \u2014 what has determined his destiny \u2014 is his desire that no little boy has to find his mother as he found his. When he was 13, Heavin, along with his eight and nine year old little brothers, found their mother, who had been heavily medicated for high blood pressure, dead from a stroke. He says her premature death, and the high blood pressure that contributed to the blood clot that took her life, were unnecessary. Her life could have been saved by a regimen of healthy nutrition and regular exercise. From her tragic death grew Curves, which is now saving the lives of millions of women around the world.<\/p>\n
In \u201c10 Inspiring Stories Of People Who Turned Tragedy Into Triumph<\/a>,\u201d Heather Ramsey tells the story of Nash Schupbach, and nine others. On June 19, 2014, five month old Nash died of positional asphyxiation at his babysitter\u2019s, while his parents were at work. Shelly and Todd, Nash\u2019s parents, didn\u2019t want his legacy to be one of sadness. \u201cAs Nash\u2019s six-month birthday approached on July 9, 2014, family members decided to honor him by doing random acts of kindness in his name. They agreed to do that on the ninth of every month at least until his first birthday. With each act of kindness, they would hand out a card with the baby\u2019s picture and the words \u201cHave a Nash day<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea took off on social media, and soon people all over the US were participating in \u201cHave a Nash day.\u201d Then someone in Spain posted, and the Schupbachs realized it had gone international. Now, Shelly\u2019s excited about Nash\u2019s birthday again because of all the people who are honoring her\u00a0son.<\/p>\n
Hope is the key that unlocks freedom\u2019s door.<\/p>\n
Megadose \u2014 Now You\u2019re Seeing Things
<\/h2>\n\u201cA Little Dose of Heaven,\u201d the title track of the album scheduled to drop on Friday, April 22, 2022 (Earth Day) is all about hope for tomorrow through what we\u2019re doing today. I\u2019m planning a video for each of the 11 songs, and for this one it\u2019s about hope and inspiration.<\/p>\n
So now not only will you be hearing \u201cA Little Dose of Heaven,\u201d but you\u2019ll be seeing it too. Not sure if, as a shrink, I should be encouraging people to hear and see things, but I guess that, if its a shared perception, then it\u2019s probably OK, right?! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n