Where do you find a little bit of encouragement when there's a lot of darkness in your life?

Answer 1

i look to my friends i was suicidal earlier this year but then they found out they got me a counsler and they were with me every step of the way

Answer 2

If you look at the bad things that have happened to others in the world you may find quite a bit of encouragement. When I think about the tragedy of 911, all of the children who die everyday from unspeakable tragedies, the people who are homeless and starving everywhere in the world, countries bombing other countries and killing innocent people, I look at my situation and how my life is going, and I realize that I really don't have it that bad. Have you ever watched the movie "The Passion of The Christ"? If not, you should watch it and see what Jesus went through for us and when you understand the concept of the movie you will find alot of encouragement knowing that no matter how bad we may think things are, it isn't a drop of darkness to what Jesus endured. I thank God every morning and night that I am alive to see my 5 year old smile, that we have food on our table, a roof over our head and clothes on our backs. God is where my encouragement comes from and my child is where my happiness comes from!!

Answer 3

When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly. Edward Teller

You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need. Jerry Gillies

First say to yourself what you would be;
and then do what you have to do.
Epictetus

Sometimes the best way to figure out who you are
is to get to that place where you don't have to be anything else.

May the blessings of the Light be on you,
Light without and Light within.
Irish Blessing

Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times.
May you never forget what is worth remembering,
or remember what is best forgotten.

Remember you are not alone.

Answer 4

composing music from the shadows,
reaching into the darkness and feeling
what is there, with intrepid interest i probe
into the darkness to where i have lived for
6 years, encouragement is shrouded in
expression of an inner matrix of sadness,
i Scan the mental processes of my own
inner rules of meaning. It seems there is more
darkness than light, my light is dim, yet still
shines on the amputation of my happiness
which lay somewhere within the dark boundaries
of my abstractions and like a mad professor i
fashion some transcending way to keep moving
forward. Do my steps have purpose? Yes, because
my darkness some how gives me courage ....

Answer 5

I always try to avoid darkness in my life, however, when I do need a little encouragement, I look to myself. Through reasoning and sheer determination, I can find the strength needed to pull me through the darkness.

Answer 6

A serious question which requires a serious answer far too long and really needing to be in the form of a conversation that this forum does not allow.
So perhaps I can point you in the direction of some answers you can discover n your own that will help you find the way to balance and reward and hope and love.

In this part of Planet Earth the local PBS television station just ran an episode of the Bill Moyers 'Faith And Reason' series that, as it happens, speaks just to this issue. And to all the issues of finding and maintaining values of love and kindness and compassion in a society where very often disagreeable and disheartening and defeating events and people are commonplace.

One can put the practices this program speaks about, which happen to spring from Buddhist teachings, into one's life no matter what religion you believe or if you do not have a religion you follow.
It is a way of thinking about oneself and the world around us no matter one's spiritual choice or absence of spiritual choice.

There are many, many ways to find these balances. The way described here may not be for you. But the goals which are being described are universal to human needs and the human spirit and any way one may choose to help bring oneself closer to them is a good choice.

Here is a brief excerpt from this program's interview followed by links to other resources you can follow if you are interested:

PEMA CHÖDRÖN: Let's just say you're a Buddhist, I'm a Buddhist. And I've been doing this for over 30 years. But when someone hurts my feelings, and puts the knife in, and I actually think that they're actually purposefully slandering me, or gossiping about me, or saying a mean word, or, I just don't come out looking so good, you know, is my first impulse to love them? No.

My first thing is I get hooked. And if it wasn't for the way I'm sort of thrilled by the challenge of that, I would just bite the hook like anyone else. And most Buddhists that take, it doesn't matter. We still bite the hook, we still get towed under. And we can still, I say clobber people with our peace signs, you know. So, it really doesn't matter what religion we are. We can be a fundamentalist, or a non violent, non aggressive propagator of love in the world, and fellowship of humanity.

BILL MOYERS: The Buddha talked about the truth of suffering.

PEMA CHÖDRÖN: Yeah.

BILL MOYERS: What do you think he meant by suffering? And what do you Buddhists mean by suffering?

PEMA CHÖDRÖN: Suffering?

BILL MOYERS: Yes.

PEMA CHÖDRÖN: Well, that's a complex question, but it doesn't mean that we could be free of that, if fire burns you, it won't hurt. If you get cut, it won't hurt. It also doesn't mean that if someone you love very dear, deeply, dies you won't feel sadness. And it doesn't mean that bad things won't happen to you anymore, you know? It doesn't mean that you won't have your personal tragedies and catastrophes and crisis. And it also certainly doesn't mean that you could avoid planes flying into the towers, you know? Do you know what I'm saying?

BILL MOYERS: I do know about that because--

PEMA CHÖDRÖN: So it's all about that the end of suffering has to do with how you relate with pain. Let's distinguish just for semantics, the difference between, let's call pain the unavoidable and let's call suffering what could what could lessen and dissolve in our lives. So, if there's sort of a basic phrase you could say that it isn't the things that happen to us in our lives that cause us to suffer, it's how we relate to the things that happen to us that causes us to suffer.

One of the things that this eighth century Indian Buddhist master, Shantideva, one of the things he says about this whole thing is work with little grievances such as the middle seat instead of the aisle seat or your favorite restaurant being closed or not being able to get into the movie. Or whatever it is, you know? He says "There's nothing that does not grow easier through familiarity." Putting up with little cares, I'll train myself to work with great adversity.

+++

The entire program from which this interview fragment was taken can be viewed online for free starting 7 August 2006 at:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/watch_chodron.html

The entire transcript of this interview is at:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/print/faithandreason107_print.html

Pema Chödrön’s website is here:
http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/index.php

Pema Chödrön’s lecture on the values of Compassion is here:
http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/compassion.php

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Answer 7

There is an organisation called GROW that can help depending where you are living. If you are in America they have a base in Champagne-Illonois. Thousands of people from all walks of life have been helped by Grow. Non-denominational you just go along and check them out, no need to talk just look and listen.
Good luck!
"You alone can do it but you cannot do it alone!"

Answer 8

I look at my phone and the screen is my 3 yr old's face. I get a lot of encouragement from that, it makes me stronger and adds sunshine to my day.

Answer 9

I do a lot of praying to god and then I am thankfull for what I get no matter how small. Sometimes its not what I want most but it is what I need. I also talk to friends or try and help someone else.

Answer 10

I just try to remember how easily things can change and how every day IS a new day.

"None of us knows what the next change is going to be, what unexpected opportunity is just around the corner, waiting a few months or a few years to change all the tenor of our lives."-- Kathleen Norris

Answer 11

some of the best stories ever written come from gut-wrenching depression and desperation. charles dickens is known to have written all of his works as a form of therapy. william faulkner couldn't have written with the same intensity if not for his depression.

start your own journal, explore why u feel discouraged, speak with a spiritual advisor of any religion that suits u. who knows what may come of it?