"To hope is to cherish a desire with anticipation of being able to receive it. To envision and aspire to something with the belief that you can achieve it. It involves being able to wish for something better. That in itself often requires building one's self-esteem. Then the tools to achieve the desire need to be developed. Hope is believing something good will happen and taking steps to achieve it."

"Nature has always been very healing to me. Being outside just makes a person feel better. Being able to focus on natural beauty has a way of restoring the mind, body, and spirit. I am outside for at least 30 min. every day (even in the winter). It just makes me feel better. Attending to your spiritual needs is as important as taking care of your physical needs. I feed my soul daily with prayer, study, worship, and music. Gratitude comes from a well-fed soul. Practicing thankfulness leads to better mental health. Good mental health is the foundation for good physical health. I have a tendency to be driven and get too caught up in completing tasks. Recreation is something that provides needed balance and perspective. It is important to do things simply because they are fun. I enjoy gardening and try to grow about 60% of my food. I really enjoy eating fresh produce and fruit from the garden. I also enjoy playing guitar and reading."