Fragments of Hope

Is my life today what I pictured a year ago?

Not at all. In fact, it’s nothing like I imagined years ago. Years ago, I was a different person – determined, ambitious, full of dreams. I still remember those moments when I sat quietly and planned my future, believing that by 2025, I would be someone successful. I saw myself as a great counselor, maybe even a clinical psychologist. I wanted to help people overcome their struggles, their pain, and in doing so, heal a part of myself too. I dreamed of starting my own clinic – a safe space where people could find hope and healing. I wanted to buy a cozy little house, one I could call my own. I wanted to make my parents proud, to see their faces light up with happiness because of me.

But life… life has a strange way of changing everything when you least expect it. The past 5-6 years have felt like a storm that refuses to settle. Somewhere along the way, my dreams began to slip through my fingers, and I couldn’t hold onto the person I once was. Now, my life feels like a mess, a living hell that I can’t seem to escape. I often find myself drowning in feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and self-doubt. I feel pathetic, underconfident, and broken in ways I never thought possible. I’ve seen my worst self, and some days, I wonder if there’s any coming back from it.

And yet… something keeps me going. A small flicker of hope remains in my heart, like a stubborn light refusing to die out. I don’t know what it is exactly – maybe a whisper from my old self, or perhaps just the sheer will to believe that things can still get better. It’s this fragile hope that stops me from giving up entirely. It reminds me that life is unpredictable not just in its struggles but also in its surprises.

Maybe, just maybe, 2025 will be the year that changes everything. Maybe it will bring me the joy I’ve been craving for so long. A new beginning. A second chance to live my life the way I once dreamed of. Maybe I’ll find my way back to my dreams – to helping people, to building something meaningful, to creating a life I’m proud of. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m holding onto that maybe. Because sometimes, hope is the only thing that carries us forward, even when everything feels lost.

So here I am, bruised and exhausted but still standing, still breathing. And maybe, just maybe… that’s enough for now.

Daily writing prompt

Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?

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