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Doug, a lot of people contact our law firm when they are going through a crisis. What
advice or tips do you have for somebody just briefly here to give them a few ideas for
how to deal with this overwhelming situation.
The main thing I tell people is time. Don’t make any rash decisions because, whether they
are going through a divorce or a financial devastation or any crisis, there is emotion
involved, a lot of time there is anger involved if it is divorce or financial. And they act
in a manner which they might not act if they were not going through that crisis. So they
are acting on their emotions. That would be one tip to just take time to let your emotions
settle. I have seen a lot of people do things out of anger due to divorce. I’m sure you’ve
seen that too where money goes down the toilet, so to speak, because they are fighting and
they are intentionally trying to hurt the other person.
And it is more than spending money on attorney’s fees. Sometimes one party will just start
spending like crazy to hurt the other one. But that affects the kids, there is less money
to go around afterwards. What about the value of a listening ear. Where do you find someone
who can listen?
That was the other tip I was going to throw out there. If you can get a listening ear
to somebody that is outside of your family or friends, somebody that is not biased in
other words. So Hope360.org would be that place where yuo have someobody who have shared
their story and may have gone through a similar crisis as you, and they’re a listening ear
and they have no vested interest in what way you make decisions, other than they may care
about you, because the whole Hope360 story tellers have a heart of gold and they want
to help others. And so, they are there at a non-biased position just to listen and if
they ask to give practical advice or just their experience and what they went through
and how they got through it. And there’s just so much value in that I think.
I have heard professional counselors say that as well. That if people who are going through
a crisis meet with friends and family, although those people are very sympathetic, they also
have memories and so after a person has dealt with an issue and moved on, the friends and
family still have to deal with all of those emotions and feels and the memories may come
back and come back to haunt the relationship. And rather than dumping all of that on the
people close to you, sometimes there is great value in dumping it on a professional counselor
or a listening ear, like the folks at your organization.
We have our own 360 storytellers, the people that come and tell their story of hope, sign
an agreement that this is what they are, a listening ear, and everything is confidential
so they don’t share with anyone else, unless it is a life or death situation. But everything
is confidential so that way, like yous aid, the person in need can share anything they
want with the Hope 360 storyteller and rest assured that it is in confidence. And then
when their families overhear when things get restored or whatever the situation is, there’s
not that issue where they have shared everything and now the family might still be dealing
with whatever it is. There’s a lot of scenarios so that’s a possibility as well.
Do you ever get people who contact you because they’re going through the death of a loved
one?
You know I have. It has been interesting, I have not experienced that, but yet I have
had a lot of people contact me that have had crisis, a lot of different crises, death of
a loved one, cancer, that I can’t relate to but I think that the main thing that we
have in common and the reason that they reach out is hope. They’re looking for hope. I
have been through a crisis, they're going through a crisis, it’s different, but yet
we have this common bond that we both are at one time seeking hope. And so I have had
numerous people contact me.
So then help me understand, the hope, since your crisis may be different, the hope is
knowing you will make it through, you can survive this, life will get back to some semblance
of normal, you will have good days again. There may be pain for awhile but eventually
you will make it so just hang in there.
Exactly, because I remember the first day that my kids did not sleep at my house. We
got divorced and they were out from underneath my care, my protection, and I remember thinking
Aaron, how am I going to make it. Not just through this night, but how am I going to
make it through this next month, this next summer, and all of these things, their baseball
seasons, how am I going to make it there. And I remember just thinking that this is
it, my life is ruined, there is no hope. And I knew there was hope, but that’s how I
felt. So I think, boy if someone else at that point came alongside of me and said, “I
was there”, unfortunately I didn’t have that exact scenario. I had a lot of people
around me, praying for me, helping me anyway they could, but there’s just so much value
in having somebody that went through it and is sitting right next to you in your presence
and saying, “Yep I get it and I was there and here’s what I went through and there’s
hope.”
If somebody is watching this video right now and they’re going through a crisis, how
would you like them to connect with your organization. Do you recommend just going to the website,
Hope360.org and watch the video?
Yes, the best way for somebody to connect is just go to the website, Hope360.org, and
find a story on there that they can relate to. And if there’s not one up there yet
that they can relate to, watch one of the other stories and just reach out, there is
a connection button on each Hope 360 storyteller’s webpage, and you can connect with that person.
I think that if you watch the video, the videos are so intimately done and they’re so upfront-close
into the eyes of the person that you almost feel like you know the person by the time
you are meeting them in person, face-to-face. So there’s that connection there. So I would
say yes, go to the website, watch a story, and connect with someone at that point.
And those who have survived a crisis, who would like to get involved, contact you as
well I imagine?
Yes, there is actually a page on our website entitled, “Becoming A Hope 360 Storyteller.”
It gives a little bit of information of what that looks like, who should become a Hope
360 Storyteller and maybe who shouldn’t. And then if they want more information, just
contact us.
Is there anything else that you would like to share about the organization or pass along
to people that are going through a crisis?
You know I would just say don’t hesitate to reach out to us because I feel like you
shouldn’t have to do life alone no matter what situation you are in. And you can’t
do life alone. And so I would not to hesitate to go on the site, like a said watch a story,
and just reach out to one of us, I am a storyteller as well. You know reach out to one of us,
whether it is an email or phone call or what have you, and even if we can just ask you
what is one thing that we can pray for you for and just help you in that manner. It’s
pretty great.