Nearly every day, it seems, I hear from people who have given up. It's most unfortunate. "I have THIS," they say. "The doctor said so. There's no cure."

"I take the pills, but they really don't work. I still feel bad, and the pills make me feel worse. There's no cure. It's hopeless. I am doomed to a life of pain." Or poverty. Or loneliness. The "affliction" may be different, but the essence of the situation is the same. Things look grave, and the person is overwhelmed.

Here's what I really want to know. Where is the doctor, or the relationship expert, or the financial advisor who really said that things were hopeless? Generally nowhere to be found.

* The doctor may have genuinely said, "I don't have any more to offer you."

* The financial advisor could have said, "You are deeply in debt."

* The relationship expert might have expressed, "You sound extremely needy -- like a victim."

Each of these statements expresses an objective expert view of your current situation, and it may not be pretty. But generally the expert will not suggest that you give up. You conclude that things are hopeless based on the fact that the things you have tried up until now have not worked as you'd hoped they would.

In my world, each of the three "expert" statements says the same thing. The conventional way of doing things ... the strategies you've always followed up until now ... have not gotten you where you truly want to end up. Therefore, it's time to try something else.

A number of years ago I attended a seminar. The gentleman leading our group made a profound statement of perspective. "If I went to the doctor and he told me I'd be dead in six months if I followed his advice," the gentleman began, "I think I'd look for a new doctor."

What if we were all to follow that logic? The gentleman leading my seminar lived from a position of "of course there is a solution, I've just got to find it." So many of the people I meet could have richer lives than they ever imagined if they could find their way to that place. I suppose we all could, because to a certain extent we are all "blind" to our "blind spots."

Let's consider how life might look from a position of "Healing is always possible!"

The first thing we'd want to explore is a definition of healing. Wholeness, they call it. Peace of mind. Expressing the fullness of "you" with nothing missing or left out. Wholeness is the domain of the spirit, and it is always within your reach. There are two things to let go of in order to reach the state of wholeness, abundance, or belonging that you may so deeply desire.

1. Let go of the illusion that "you" are in charge. Allow the reflection of perfection that you call Spirit, Creator, or God to shine through and guide you. You don't have to figure this all out on your own. Just be willing to follow directions.

2. Let go of thinking that the way you have always done things is the only acceptable way to live. How you've always done things has gotten you where you are today. Granted, you survived and are still here to tell the story. But if you're not happy with the story you're telling, then consider that there may be another way to be. Just try it. If you're not happy with the way things are now, then what could you have to lose?

Having let go those two illusions, there is one major thing to adopt. It is a habit of listening. Ask your deep questions. Then create space in which to hear a response. It doesn't really matter in whose voice the answer comes back. A radio announcer, a favorite author, an email from a friend, your dog, the Maple in the back yard, or your own familiar inner dialog.

Coming from a position of "anything is possible, I simply need to accept the guidance I am shown," adopt the perspective that any fresh insights you may receive today are pieces of the solution. Don't judge that they're impractical or too expensive or too much work. Just try them on. Assume there is a way, and that the way will be shown.

Listen. Heal. It is always possible!