Hope for Happily Ever After

"The value of fairy tales lies not in a brief literary escape from reality, but in the gift of hope that goodness truly is more powerful than evil and that even the darkest reality can lead to a Happily Ever After. Do not take that gift of hope lightly. It has the power to conquer despair in the midst of sorrow, to light the darkness in the valleys of life, to whisper “One more time” in the face of failure. Hope is what gives life to dreams, making the fairy tale the reality."
     —L.R. Knost

Hoping for our Happily Ever After gives us the courage to face the dark forest and to endure whatever may come our way.  To hope for a greater ending, where evil is conquered and goodness reestablished, and the darkness vanquished.  To have true love be at the heart of our relationship where it endured the darkest of times and comes out alive and more resilient.  What is your Happily Ever After?  What are you dreaming….hoping for?  If you are not dreaming or hoping, what stopped your hope?  When the forest seems too dark and the villains too dangerous, hoping for something better can carry you through the impossibly dark, and treacherous times of your relationship.  In your relationship, hold on to your dreams so you can allow hope to guide you there.  Without hope, we are doomed to the despair of wandering alone in the dark forest, void of light and the gift of each other. 

TIPS FOR INCREASING HOPE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP:

• Write your dreams down and share with each other.
• Review your vision statement and/or write one for your relationship.
• Experts say setting goals is a great way to stay out of depression and keep you moving forward.
• Studies have shown that when you go to sleep hoping for something, your brain actually grows pathways to receive the things you hoped for the next day!  Go to bed hoping and dreaming for a quick exit from the dark forest towards a desirable ending.  Then wake up to receive it.