Redefining hope

As we enter the final weeks of 2021, let’s redefine hope and restore faith so that we can face the future with greater confidence and courage. By Patrice Washington

While 2020 can honestly be declared by most as the worst year our generation has ever experienced, it seems as though we are still living in its shadows today, as we step into the final month of 2021. As a collective, our energy is low.

The fears that we once felt in real time continue to linger in our minds and our actions are driven by worry and anxiety. We don’t move the way we used to or take as many risks. We fear losing everything and, as a people, it seems we’ve lost hope.

The pandemic has proven that losing both wealth and health is closer than we imagined, but I’ve come to deliver a message that through faith, hope can be restored.

Let’s go back to 2008, the year the housing market crashed. I originally started in real estate and lived what most would consider a ‘wealthy’ lifestyle. However, after the market crashed, my husband and I lost everything. We went from wealthy to welfare instantly.

Most of our belongings were repossessed, we were forced to sell what we could no longer afford, we moved out of our nice home in California and we ended up sleeping on a couch in a one-bedroom apartment in Louisiana, with our toddler.

One day, while my daughter and husband were out of the house, I finally hit rock bottom and found myself crying on the bathroom floor. I remember feeling hopeless and asking god how something like this could happen to me. In the midst of my breakdown, I had a breakthrough and was led to open my bible where I immediately saw a scripture in Proverbs 17:16, which read: “What good is money in the hands of a fool if they have no desire to seek wisdom?”

It hit me then that without wisdom wealth would never last. I found hope in the words: “What good is money in the hands of a fool?” at a moment when the money I once had in my hands was all gone. During that trial, which lasted the next few years, I chose to focus on seeking wisdom and, as a result, my faith became more defined.

While I'm not here to convert you to a specific religion or preach how you should live your life, I simply wanted to share my story of how faith brought me hope during a similar time when I did lose everything.

When you’re in the midst of any kind of crisis and you’re mentally spiralling, you may need to stop and define what you believe in. If you believe in anything of substance, you won’t be easily pushed over the edge.

If your notion of faith is vague or you have no faith practice at all, but you want one, make a conscious effort to understand different religions and spiritual paths. Don’t wait until you’re in a global pandemic, deep recession, or personal crisis to look for something to give you more hope and strength. Challenge yourself to define what faith means to you and start to practice what you say you believe.

Your faith doesn’t have to be a religion, but you’d better find something you believe in because life happens. The pandemic is proof. I can’t tell you how to define your faith, but I can tell you it’s incredibly hard to have a wealthy life until you do.

While my journey started with wealth and shifted to welfare, I was rebounded into faith where I found restoration, hope and wisdom. All that I had lost in 2008 was returned to me abundantly the more that I sought faith. Faith is believing in something you cannot see, so take the risk and see beyond fear, beyond lack, beyond depression, and beyond hopelessness.

Take the risk and redefine hope for your life…and step into 2022 with confidence and courage renewed.

Patrice Washington is an award-winning intuitive author, transformational speaker, hope-restoring coach, and conscious media personality. Find out more at: PatriceWashington.com