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4 Ways You Benefit From Going Through a Dry Spell

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dry spell determination
Image Credit | Joel Brown

Whether you’re creatively blocked or your usual motivation or inspiration has left you, one day you will wake up and find yourself in a dry spell.  You’ll realize you’re wandering around in a metaphorical desert and have no idea how you became a worn out crispy critter trying to find shade under the nearest rock.

So once you’re in this desert, what signposts should you look for to point you back toward civilization?  How do you escape the anxiety that comes with being lost, forsaken, and feeling pressured by the pace of modern society to keep up and get back in the game?  You do it by embracing your situation and appreciating the benefits that every dry spell has to offer.

Here are 4 ways you benefit from going through a dry spell:

1. You build resilience

Tough times are an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve accomplished.  You didn’t make it to where you are now by accident; you’ve worked hard, gained wisdom, and have probably helped people along the way.  Now is the time to reflect on those accomplishments and congratulate yourself for how far you’ve come.

Resilience also allows you to gain perspective about your journey.  How has your outlook changed over time?  Where have you shifted your viewpoint as you continued to learn and grow?  Think about how this perspective shift has allowed you to live a different, and hopefully happier, life and where you’ve continued to succeed despite setbacks.

Lastly, time for reflection wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t also take stock of where you’ve stumbled.  Instead of beating yourself up for falling short, look at your stumbles as teachers.  How did you learn to regroup and regain your focus?  How can you continue to use that power to help you get through what you’re experiencing now?

“Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before.” – Elizabeth Edwards

2. You develop perseverance

One of the most important things to remember in a dry spell is that it may be trying to send you a message.  To go along with all the reflecting you’re doing, you may also need to learn how to better balance your energy and consider different ways of recharging your battery.  In order to come back strong, look at the period of drought you’re experiencing as a time to step back and gain some strength instead of pushing through.

To keep your forward momentum going it’s also important to keep doing the things you do well.  Doing these things will give you a sense of accomplishment, help keep your self -esteem up, and allow you to remain engaged, even as you’re struggling.  

Don’t be afraid to seek out support from friends and ask others for their thoughts on how you can approach your current challenges.  Take comfort in the fact that a dry spell is just that, a spell, not a forever state.  It too shall pass and you will feel better at some point.

3. You learn to adapt

Because dry spells don’t usually appear out of nowhere, by the time you’re ready to admit you’re in one, you’ve probably been wandering the desert for a few weeks or more.  Finding yourself in this new and inhospitable environment will force you to look at the big picture to figure out what may have caused you to go off track.  

Where have you lost sight of how you are rewarded in life?  Where are you out of touch with your bigger why?  How can you reconnect with what you need mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially in order to make peace with where you are and also with where you want to be?

Sometimes dry spells happen because you know you need to shift but you’re resisting the change.  Other times, you find yourself wandering and alone because something isn’t quite “right” but you can’t put your finger on it.  In either case, the message is always that you must change.  With change comes risk, but sometimes change is inevitable.  Your willingness to change is optional.

“The more you adapt, the more interesting you are.” – Martha Stewart

4. You learn hidden lessons

The ultimate benefit of being in the uncomfortable and often exhausting state of desert dwelling is the opportunity to learn hidden lessons.  The first place to start is by looking for illusions you have about yourself and your situation.  A dry spell signals a break; a break in your normal ways of thinking and being.  

Where are you adding complexity when you should in fact be simplifying?  Where are you making up rules for yourself when you should be letting go?  Where are you too unstructured when you should be thinking more linearly?  What message is your dry spell ultimately trying to communicate to you and how can you become a better version of yourself by learning the lesson and honoring this message?

By shifting your mindset to one of welcoming vs. one of shunning a dry spell you can help yourself not only survive but actually thrive and come out with increased awareness and knowledge about your situation.  

Instead of focusing on the frustration and discouragement of the short term, shift your focus instead to how this time can help you in the long term.  Being in a dry spell isn’t permanent, it’s an opportunity to rejuvenate yourself and gain a little wisdom along the way.

What did you learn from going through a dry spell and how did it benefit you in the long run? Leave your thoughts below!

Brooke Davis is a Certified Wellness Inventory coach and writer. She is the founder of Roots of Abundance, an online personal development company, where she helps mid-career women manage chronic stress, overwhelm, and burnout. Learn more about Brooke at www.rootsofabundance.com or on Instagram at @rootsofabundanceco.

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Life

How Learning the Skill of Hope Can Change Everything

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life

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Hope as a skill
Image Credit: Midjourney

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life.

Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is like having dreams in the sky without a ladder to climb, having a destination without a map, or trying to operate a jet-engine airplane without instructions. It sounds nice but is impossible to realize. You don’t have what you need to make it happen!

What Real Hope Is

Real hope is actionable, practical, and realistic. Better yet, it’s feasible and can be learned.

One popular approach is Hope Theory. This concept is used by colleges to study how hope impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers found that students with high levels of hope achieve better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to those with less hope.

Hope can be broken down into two components:

  1. Pathways – The “how to” of hope. This is where people think of and establish plans for achieving their goals.
  2. Agency – The “I can” of hope. This is the belief that the person can accomplish their goals.

Does Hope Really Work?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined as: “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

As humans, we are wired to crave fulfillment. We have the ability to envision it and, through hope, make it a reality.

My Experience with Hope

For 13 years, I was a hopeless human. During my time working at a luxury hotel as a front desk agent earning $11.42 per hour, I felt the sting of hopelessness the most.

The regret of feeling my time was being stolen from me lingered every time I clocked in. Eventually, I decided to do something about it.

I gave myself permission to hope for something better. I began establishing pathways to success and regained agency by learning from self-help books and seeking mentorship.

Because I took action toward something I desired, I now feel more hope and joy than I ever felt hopelessness. Hope changed me.

Hope Actually Improves Your Life

Wishful thinking doesn’t work, and false hope is equally ineffective. Real hope, however, is directly tied to success in all areas of life.

Studies show that hopeful people tend to:

  • Demonstrate better problem-solving skills
  • Cultivate healthier relationships
  • Maintain stronger motivation to achieve goals
  • Exhibit better work ethic
  • Have a positive outlook on life

These benefits can impact work life, family life, habit-building, mental health, physical health, and spiritual practice. Imagine how much better your life could be by applying real hope to all these areas.

How to Develop the Skill to Hope

As acclaimed French writer Jean Giono wrote in The Man Who Planted Trees:
“There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.”

If you are at one of those times, here are ways to develop the skill to hope:

1. Dream Again

To cultivate hope, you need to believe in its possibility. Start by:

  • Reflecting on what you’re passionate about, your values, and what you want to achieve.
  • Writing your dreams down, sharing them with someone encouraging, or saying them out loud.
  • Creating a vision board to make your dreams feel more tangible.

Dreams are the foundation of hope—they give you something meaningful to aspire toward.

2. Create an Environment of Hope

  • Set Goals: Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.
  • Visualize Success: Use inspirational quotes, photos, or tools like dumbbells or canvases to remind yourself of your goals.
  • Build a Resource Library: Collect books, eBooks, or audiobooks about hope and success to inspire you.

An environment that fosters hope will keep you motivated, resilient, and focused.

3. Face the Challenges

Don’t avoid challenges—overcoming them builds confidence. Participating in challenging activities, like strategic games, can enhance your problem-solving skills and reinforce hope.

4. Commit to Wisdom

Seek wisdom from those who have achieved what you aspire to. Whether through books, blogs, or social media platforms, learn from their journeys. Wisdom provides the foundation for real, actionable hope.

5. Take Note of Small Wins

Reflecting on past victories can fuel your hope for the future. Ask yourself:

  • What challenges have I already overcome?
  • How did I feel when I succeeded?

By remembering those feelings of happiness, relief, or satisfaction, your brain will naturally adopt a more hopeful mindset.

Conclusion

Hope is more than wishful thinking—it’s a powerful skill that can transform your life. By dreaming again, creating a hopeful environment, facing challenges, seeking wisdom, and celebrating small wins, you can develop the real hope necessary for success in all aspects of life.

Let hope guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

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Life

The 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do

A quarter-life crisis isn’t a sign you’ve lost your way; it’s a sign you’re fighting for a life that’s truly yours.

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what is a quarter life crisis
Image Credit: Midjourney

The quarter-life crisis is a well-defined set of stages—Trapped, Checking Out, Separation, Exploration, Rebuilding—one goes through in breaking free from feelings of meaninglessness, lack of fulfillment, and misalignment with purpose. I detail the stages and interweave my story below. (more…)

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Life

Here’s The Thing About Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning

Stop hoarding and start sharing your knowledge and wealth for the benefit of humankind

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sharing your knowledge
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Few people have the habit of hoarding their wealth without spending.  However, it limits their motivation as they tend to get into their comfort zones.  When people start spending money, then there will be depletion in their coffers. (more…)

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Life

3 Steps That’ll Help You Take Back Control of Your Life Immediately

The key to finding “enough” is recognizing that the root of the problem is a question of self-esteem and deservedness

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How to build self worth
Image Credit: Midjourney

“It’s never enough.” (more…)

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