AIMING for HOPE
join the waitlist
You’ll be added to our mailing list. You can unsubscribe at anytime.
Hello, I’m Stacy!
My mission is to inspire invisible illness warriors to live lives that light them up.
I help spoonies like you manage your time and energy more efficiently, so that you’re more productive without burning out or flaring up.
The name for this magazine comes from the song “Aiming for Hope” by David Archuleta.
What I love about the title of this song is that it doesn’t give off the sentiment of overly positive thinking. Instead of, “everything is going to be all right” or “things are going to get better”, it sets a more realistic tone of, “it’s okay to be where you are and still hope for better.” Whether or not that’s what the original artist intended for the song, it’s what I drew from it and what inspired the mission behind the magazine.
If you’re wondering where you heard the song, chances are you probably haven’t. The song is not a single. It doesn’t come from his best-selling album. Instead, it comes from an album that was produced in relative obscurity. It’s almost a metaphor for hope itself.
Hope is somewhat elusive for individuals with invisible illness. We are not seen as others are seen. We have the burden of bearing our symptoms while also being called “dramatic” or “faking it” because our symptoms are not seen visibly. Many do not qualify for disability because there are no lab reports that can positively prove our ailments. And “clearly you can walk” is a blanket dismissal and “proof” that you are “fine”. Alas, we go through life with significantly less functional capacity than others, while also burdened to do just as much as our able-bodied counterparts.
But my mission is to aim for hope.
Not the unrealistic hope that, “one day my prince will come” – the prince being a cure for our chronic illness. But that things can get better. Little by little, I want to ease the burden of our symptoms by sharing stories of hope. I want to share the stories of individuals who have learned to manage their symptoms while also living fulfilling lives.
Living a fulfilling life may look differently for many people. For some who are bit more able, their ambitions may be a little higher – and that’s okay. For others with less capacity, they may simply hope to enjoy a family birthday without a flare up – and that’s okay too.
Whatever your version of hope is, keep it in your sights. Hold on to the vision. Take comfort in knowing there are others out there with similar stories.
My aim is to share their stories of hope so that it may inspire you to know that you can live with your invisible illness and a ray of hope.
love & spoons,
Stacy
inspiration for individuals with invisible illness
follow @aimingforhope on Instagram for updates