What if hope isn't believing that everything will unfold exactly as you wish—but trusting that you can meet life as it unfolds?
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Today, we explore breast cancer survivor Samantha Leahy Harland's reflection on having hope through uncertainty.
Sam reminds us that healing isn't linear. Even after feeling positive and grounded, a small physical sensation can send the mind spiraling into worry.
This does not mean you have lost your progress.
Healing isn't about remaining positive all the time. It is about learning how to return to yourself when fear carries you away.
Today's theme is Hope.
The goal is not to eliminate uncertainty.
The goal is to remember that hope and uncertainty can exist side by side.
I can do hard things.
Today's affirmation meditation will help you:
make room for hope without denying what is difficult
release the expectation that healing must follow a straight path
recognize fear without allowing it to become your entire story
return to your breath when your thoughts spiral into uncertainty
identify one kind and manageable next step
remember that you can face hard things without facing them alone
Today, you'll practice returning to yourself instead of expecting yourself to remain positive every moment.
The intention is simple:
Allow hope and uncertainty to exist together.
Hope does not require you to pretend that everything is fine.
It might mean:
taking one conscious breath when your mind begins to spiral,
acknowledging fear without judging yourself for feeling it,
asking someone you trust for support,
focusing on the next manageable step rather than the entire future,
or softly repeating:
I can do hard things.
Modern pain science recognizes that pain is a personal experience influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors.
When we notice an unexpected physical sensation, the mind may quickly begin scanning for danger and imagining what could happen next. This is an understandable protective response—not a personal failure.
Mindfulness helps us notice the difference between the sensation we are experiencing now and the frightening story the mind may begin constructing around it.
The goal is not to dismiss a symptom or avoid appropriate medical care. It is to meet the present moment without carrying every feared possibility at once.
Buddhist teachings describe suffering through the image of two arrows.
The first arrow represents the pain or difficulty that enters our lives.
The second arrow represents the additional suffering created by fear, resistance, judgment, and the stories we tell ourselves about what the pain might mean.
We may not be able to prevent the first arrow, but awareness can help us soften the second.
This does not mean denying pain. It means meeting ourselves compassionately within it.
Sam shared a photograph of herself wearing a beautiful yellow dress.
It was taken on her husband Phil's birthday—the same day she first received her diagnosis.
That image holds two realities within a single moment:
A diagnosis and a birthday.
Fear and love.
Uncertainty and celebration.
Pain and a life still being lived.
The diagnosis became part of Sam's life, but it did not become the entirety of her life.
Like Sam's yellow dress, hope does not erase what is difficult. It reminds us that difficulty is not the only thing here.
Today, you'll practice returning to yourself:
Notice: Recognize when a sensation or thought has carried you into fear.
Name: Gently acknowledge, My mind is trying to protect me.
Breathe: Take one slow breath and return to what is happening now.
Soften: Release the expectation that you must feel positive all the time.
Choose: Identify one kind and manageable next step.
Affirm: Remind yourself, I can do hard things.
Then, rest in the understanding that hope and fear can be present within the same heart.
Repeat slowly:
I can return to myself.
I can make room for hope without denying what is hard.
I do not have to feel positive all the time.
I can take one kind and manageable step.
I do not have to do this alone.
And finally, repeat the affirmation Sam selected from Untamed by Glennon Doyle:
I can do hard things.
Healing is not measured by how long you can remain fearless.
It is revealed in the moments when fear arises—and you gently find your way back.
Back to your breath.
Back to your body.
Back to the people who love you.
Back to the life that is still unfolding around you.
Hope does not require certainty.
It asks only that you remain open to the possibility that pain is not the only thing here.
Dear Friend,
If fear has returned after a hopeful stretch, please don't mistake it for failure.
Healing moves in waves. Some days may feel spacious and steady. Other days, a small sensation may awaken every worry you thought you had settled.
When this happens, you don't need to force yourself to feel positive. You only need to come back to yourself.
Take one breath.
Place your hand over your heart.
Remember that this moment does not contain your entire future.
You can do hard things—and you do not have to do them alone.
With love,
Mary
Before moving into the rest of your day, ask yourself:
What is one kind and manageable step I can take when uncertainty feels overwhelming?
Take one slow, deep breath and repeat:
I can do hard things. I can return to myself.
I'd love to hear what came up for you today. Screenshot this episode and tag me, or reply to this week's email—I read every message.
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Music by Christopher Lloyd Clarke and Greg Keller. Hosted by Mary Meckley—Sip and Om, Daily Meditation Podcast.
Questions or feedback? Reach me anytime at Mary@SipandOm.com