Hope Moved Me

Submitted by Tina Ruysseveldt

A jolt of hope can be a life-changer. Truly it was for me.

When I was a homeless fifteen-year-old abandoned by my parents, I lacked a sense of belonging and I struggled desperately with feeling alone in this world. The result was a lifelong crisis of finding who I was and where I fit in. The fact that I wasn’t 100 per cent Indigenous only added to my confusion. I was a troubled teenager in fear of the life that had shaped around me thus far, and I lacked a sense that I mattered—that I was worthy of love and care. I didn’t understand the wisdom and beauty of my Indigenous roots.

Hope became my magic stardust—a catalyst to help me take action and move forward. It was all I had at times and, thankfully, it was enough.

Hope gave me the belief that things were going to be different. Hope gave me the ability to envision a reality different from the one I was currently in. All I had to do was to make sure I put this in motion by putting one foot in front of the other.

Simple but effective.

Hope gave me something to feel that was good and something to hold onto when I felt like I had nothing else.

Hope, belief and taking the first step (action) is the mindset of champions and heroes, and leads to success. This mindset of holding onto hope has gotten me out of many tough situations in my life.

So, at this moment, if you feel you want better, different or more, allow hope to help you envision taking that first step and baby steps along the way. Even if it feels too hard or if you think it’s too much right now, or even if there is a voice inside your head telling you that nothing will help, find a way.

Say this to yourself, “What do I have to do—in this very moment—to move towards my vision? To move towards where I want to be? Closer to whom I want to be?”

Tell yourself you can push through doubt. Remind yourself that you are stronger than you think you are. And even knowing and reading all of this, some days we just can’t, and that is okay too. Don’t be discouraged; nobody ever got this right the first time. And the cool thing is we always get another crack at it

tomorrow. Some days will be tougher than others, and sometimes we will need a little help, and hope, to feel better and keep moving forward.

It is incredible to look at how far those first few steps have brought me. It’s inspiring to see the version of the person I am today, on the other side of so many of life’s challenges. Living a life that was designed with a foundation of good choices changed my entire existence. Today I live sober (ten years!) and cancerfree. My life is my own, and hope helped me envision it. Better, different and more.

My hope, my ambition, helped me envision that my world could be different. That I was not alone. Hope gave me something to feel that was good and something to hold onto when I felt like I had nothing else.

If you are reading this today, may you know and feel in your soul that hope is there for you too! These are tough times and we all experience struggles differently. As we navigate our lives in 2022 and on, we can all use the energy that hope carries

Tina Ruysseveldt is a survivor who has overcome great obstacles, including childhood abuse, addictions and a rare form of cancer. A registered nurse and meditation expert, Ruysseveldt is also a published author of The Courage To Be True, an inspirational speaker and the creator of The LiveWell Recipe™ that she credits to saving her life. For the last decade, she has been walking the road of recovery, and sharing her story and life-changing methods that allowed her to thrive in the face of some of life’s most difficult situations. Ruysseveldt currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, and is a proud member of the Six Nations of the Grand River.