A friend says her life has been miserable the last few years, that hope is a trap and joy is a lie and they only lead to pain. She said she has no reason to believe it will ever be any different. When you are having thoughts like that, and we all have them, you really need to pivot your self talk and cheerlead yourself on to be hopeful. What we expect and believe will invariably happen, so hope for the best and believe it is possible despite evidence to the contrary. Remind yourself on a regular basis via re- programming your self-talk. Someone else’s experience does not have to be yours. Your past experience does not have to be repeated. Remind yourself of this so frequently that it drowns out the voice in your head that says you can’t imagine anything can ever be any different. Then watch your world change right before your eyes.