Neurodiversity Advent Week 1: Hope Begins With Us

Choosing Hope In A World That Needs It

The first week of Advent invites us to reflect on Hope. Not the kind we passively wait for and not the kind that depends on circumstances aligning perfectly. This kind of hope is something older and deeper. It sits inside us and asks to be cultivated and carried.

The only hope we can truly control is the hope we choose to hold within ourselves.

So often we look for hope to come from the outside. We look to our leaders to inspire us. We look to our institutions to fix what feels broken. We look to our teams, our communities, or the people around us to shift the atmosphere. And while hope from the outside can be powerful, it is also unpredictable. The only hope we can truly control is the hope we choose to hold within ourselves.

Hope responds with faith rather than fear - even though fear can seem like the most "rational" option.

This kind of hope believes that change is possible even when we cannot see it yet. It believes that our own posture can influence a classroom, a home, or a workplace. It believes that better systems and better relationships begin with someone who is willing to carry hope rather than wait for it.

Hope gives us the courage to impact our families and our loved ones. Hope strengthens us to shape healthier workplaces. Hope allows us to revisit our own perspectives and open doors that once felt closed. It is an internal posture that prepares us to change what we can reach rather than waiting for someone else to create the change for us.

There is too much death, doubt, and fear in our systems and not nearly enough life, encouragement, and faith.

When we think about neurodiversity this becomes even more important. Many neurodivergent individuals have spent their lives surrounded by doubt, fear, misunderstanding, and the slow erosion of confidence that comes from being viewed through a deficit lens. Too much of the world speaks in ways that diminish. Too much of the world focuses on what is difficult, inconvenient, or “less than.” There is too much death, doubt, and fear in our systems and not nearly enough life, encouragement, and faith.

One of the greatest gifts we can give one another is the kind of hope that breathes life back into people. Hope shows up when we speak to someone’s strengths rather than their shortcomings. It shows up when we believe in a young person’s capacity before they see it themselves. It shows up when we choose language that builds instead of language that breaks. Hope can enter a room quietly and still shift everything.

We can only control the way we encourage, the perspectives we challenge, the compassion we offer, and the dignity we extend to people whose minds work differently than our own.

Hope is not something we wait for. It is something we practice. We cannot control the decisions leaders make nor can we control every structure we live or work within. What we can control is the way we show up. We can control the way we encourage, the perspectives we challenge, the compassion we offer, and the dignity we extend to people whose minds work differently than our own.

This week and this season I am choosing hope that speaks life instead of death. Hope that encourages instead of doubts. Hope that responds with faith rather than fear - even though fear can seem like the most "rational" option. The promise of Advent is that light enters the world even when darkness is loud. That promise begins in us. And when we choose to carry hope, we also give others permission to believe in a better future.

May this be a season where we become carriers of hope for every person we encounter.

A Small Offering of Hope for School Leaders and Teachers

In the spirit of this season, I want to bring hope in a small and practical way to the people who carry so much for our schools. Teachers and school leaders rarely ask for anything, yet they shoulder more than most people will ever see. The work is heavy. The expectations are immense. And many are serving with fewer resources than the responsibilities require.

If you are a school leader, teacher, or someone who supports them, I would like to offer you a free copy of my book Universal Best Practices for All Learners. It was written to bring clarity, encouragement, and strength to the people who are trying every day to create better environments for students. It is one way I can bring hope into a profession that needs it.

If this would support you or your team, here is a free digital copy. If you prefer a print version, let me know and I will send one your way.

My hope is that it brings light where the work feels heavy, perspective where things feel uncertain, and encouragement where it is most needed.