Keeping the Faith When All Seems Lost

I was laid off from my job on Monday along with most of my colleagues and so many others in the hospitality industry in general. It’s been a difficult few months in New York City and sadly it looks like it will take a while to recover. I’ve suddenly found myself in this weird place. One day I’m oddly excited about the next steps and new opportunities, and the next I’m brought back into the reality that we are facing very difficult times ahead. I temporarily closed my social media accounts about a month ago. It’s been glorious to not read all the hate that is being posted out there. Enough tough times are going on without letting other people’s comments bring me down. I’ve contemplated so many things in my head this week, new career paths, new cities to live in, and just a new life in general. It all seems daunting but I’m trying to remember at the end of the day, I am not the only one going through all of this. So many people are losing their jobs that it’s not shocking news to hear anymore, in fact, it’s become a given. During all of this, it’s important, like always, to stay grounded and not get too caught up in the negativity all around us.

5 Ways to Keep Faith During Tough tTmes:

1. Get Off of Social Media

I think this is the most important thing we can do for ourselves right now. If your social media is not helping you look for a new job, or if it’s being more harmful than helpful to your well-being, get off. The comparison game that I spoke about in my last blog post is very real, and it is ignited and thrives with Facebook and Instagram. It’s ok to not feel great about where you are in life at the moment, but if you dwell on everyone else’s life, along with all of the hate out there, you’re bound to spiral further down into despair during an already extremely difficult time. Getting off social media, even if it’s temporary is like a breath of fresh air. With only yourself to worry about you can focus more on the positive things (and getting a new job).

2. Take Time to Process All That is Happening

If you are anything like me, you feel the need to be productive all the time. As soon as I heard I was being laid off, I felt this intense need to start networking and looking for a job immediately. I soon realized this just made me anxious, because the reality is the job market is very difficult right now and there are very few jobs to be had out there. It is important to remember that it is completely ok to just stop and process everything that is going on in your life when tough times come. The American culture has been built on productivity because we have been wired to feel that if we stop for one minute we will fall behind, but when difficult things happen, it is imperative for our body and mind that we take the time to process all that is happening and nurture ourselves to stay mentally and physically healthy. We will naturally know when it is time to pick back up and move forward.

3. Start Slow When Rebuilding Your Life

Taking a step forward each day, no matter how small, should be your main focus, not moving mountains immediately. If you set small goals eventually you will get the results you are looking for. I hiked a mountain yesterday in Alaska. It was daunting and very steep. I was already tired, but I knew if I just took one step at a time I could get to the top. I put my head down and pushed forward. Before I realized, I was at the top of the mountain overlooking the amazing view that lay below. Climbing a mountain isn’t very different than going through life. If we think about the end goal and miss all the steps it will take to get there, we will get overwhelmed and give up. Put one foot in front of the other and start to rebuild slowly. The most important thing is to just keep moving.

4. Focus on Gratitude

I have mentioned this so many times in my blog posts because it is the best way to keep your chin up. There is unfathomable pain going on all around us right now in so many different ways. I feel extremely overwhelmed and yet I only have myself to look out for. Many people are in the same situation as me but with a family to support, elderly and sick parents to take care of, or a mortgage they can’t pay. The only way to dig out of the hole of despair is to focus on the simple blessings in life. If you feel that you have nothing to be grateful for, focus on even just the small things: the warm cup of coffee you had for breakfast, the soft pillow you slept on last night, the flowers blooming outside in the summer sunshine. If you dig deep you can find a multitude of things to be grateful for. Science has proven that finding gratitude over time will start to shift your mindset into a more positive place no matter how much the world seems to be crumbling around you.

5. Just Love

We are living in an incredibly tumultuous time in our country. The global pandemic has somehow turned into a political battle between right and left. I know for myself as a moderate, I have felt disheartened by seeing friends and loved ones argue their sides and I have never felt the country more divided amongst protesting, riots, job losses, and health concerns. It truly is sad and scary to see what we do to destroy each other. The only answer to this is to just love everyone. It’s hard to do, but if you can find it in your heart, it will make a world of difference in your life. It’s ok that we all have varying beliefs. This is what makes us a country of beauty and diversity. It is not ok when we tear each other down because of those varying beliefs. Love means accepting people no matter what, and it starts with each of us.

I worry that we have a very difficult road ahead of us in this country. I pray each night that we will be able to find the strength to keep going as an entire nation. What I know without a doubt is that we will get through this, and when we do, we will have learned what it means to persevere.

I wish you all a peaceful rest of the summer. I hope that you can find the beauty in the simple things; an ocean wave, a late summer sunset, and all the people around you who will teach you that no matter what, everything is going to be ok because we are all in this together.

“Faith is unseen but felt, faith is strength when we feel we have none, faith is hope when all seems lost.”

— Catherine Pulsifer