Hope: Free, Available, And Yours By Choice

The one thing that creates new possibilities and a better life.

.“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.”— Desmond Tutu

Feeling hopeless is like crawling through the mud with nowhere to go. Most of us have had at least one transient experience with that. Caused by internal or external stimuli, the reason doesn’t matter much. A hopeless mood is devastating, sad, and leaves one without the motivation to act on most goals. Hope is an optimistic state of mind, rooted in the expectation that things will work out despite adversity and uncertainty.

Hope is a deep human emotion that allows us to overcome unbearable conditions by using our thoughts to envision better, more hopeful futures. Viktor Frankl, the Holocaust survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, is a remarkable example of what a man can achieve by focusing his mind on hope. From living through the horrors of a concentration camp, hope inspired him to spend his life helping others to develop meaning in life. Hope also contributes to a better mindset when we face health crises.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, hope can be a powerful shield against the dread of an outcome from a chronic or threatening disease. The benefits of hope also extend into later life, as we face the challenges of aging. This I experienced first, working as a nurse in critical care.

Patients with hope had a more hopeful mindset and were more focused on recovery than those without hope. The characteristics of hope, besides optimism, a positive outlook on future possibilities, hope also includes resilience, inspiration, and faith in potential.

Potential is a spark of light in a dark room. A sense of purpose is often embedded in optimism and a strong belief that things will work out. How else would Thomas Edison survive his 1000 missteps before he finally created the light bulb?

Believing positive experiences are on the way provides a sense of hope. Why Hope is important. Don’t kid yourself, being human is often hard, messy, and lonely. We know this to be true. But hope makes everything better. A mindset with hope vs a mindset of hopelessness wins every time.

Who wants to crawl in the mud with no place to go?

Hope makes life better, and it makes us better humans. Here are three ways that hope can change our lives and repair a mind of despair. Hope improves our emotional well-being by reducing feelings of despair and anxiety. Hope adds light and opens the road to new possibilities.

Everyone has a dream.

Unless we act towards the dream, the dream blows in the wind. Hope motivates us to take action steps towards what we want. This is how dreams turn into goals. Hope strengthens our connection to other humans. By deepening connection to others, hope fosters a sense of belonging.

We are not alone, we are part of a whole; the Universe. We have the potential to go far, but to go far, we must first start.

“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the Universe.”— Dalai Lama

Because I have crawled in the mud, like everyone else, I know how to develop a hopeful mindset. At first, it is hard. Your mind may not be used to hope and optimism. It may rather shout, “Screw that.” But you have to start before changes can take place, and our star becomes visible. If we don’t make a change this year, 2025 will be the same as 2024

Carrying goals and dreams from one year to another is common. But change requires action, and action requires hope. Here is how we start.

• Take a moment to decide what you want to be, do, and have in the coming new year.

• Define your short and long-term goals. What makes them meaningful? Keep it simple and develop three action steps that work for you. The steps must be doable for you.

• While you are sitting there, practice some gratitude for the good in your life. This alone is the most hopeful practice you can develop. It is an instant awakening to feeling blessed. Things can always be worse.

• What are your personal strong attributes? Focus on that. Appreciate your strengths and use them to leverage challenges that are sure to arise. Develop a can-do attitude. Hope is born out of this.

• Use your strengths to help someone who needs help. Helping others to get what they want is the best way to elevate a pessimistic mindset to a hopeful one.

• Visualize the new year. Visualize your new and better future. See and feel yourself as if it has already happened. Meet your future self and help her out; one step, one day, and one challenge at a time.

• Be consistent. The best person to motivate you is YOU. The more you do something, the more hopeful your mindset becomes. This is internal motivation because, by doing it, you create the hope to do more. Developing a hopeful mindset is a wonderful way to live a full and meaningful life. The older we get, the more we need hope.

  Happy New Year to my fellow writers and readers. Happy New Year to family, friends, and everyone, everywhere.

  Together, let us bring hope and light into the coming year, for ourselves and others. More than ever, our beautiful world needs hope. Join me; choose hope and bright new possibilities. We got this.

  Thank you ❤️

  This story was first published on Medium.