It’s raining here today. I actually love this kind of weather. It’s not too hot and not too cold. But it’s definitely wet.
The older I get, the more I recognize the value of HOPE. The saying is usually “Love Makes The World Go ‘Round”, but I am thinking it should be “Hope Makes The World Go ‘Round”, because without hope – in this day and age – I am concerned we would all be living in fear.
But when we have hope, we are able to see past our fears. Hope is like a pair of glasses that helps us see right through fear to the possibilities of life.
Everyone thinks differently, but I am pretty sure you know someone who thinks from a position of fear, and another person who thinks from a foundation of hope. Can you think of two people you know with such different ways of looking at life?
And which are you? Fear-based or Possibility-based?
People who approach life from a fear-based vantage point often experience increased anxiety and depression; this way of looking at life can cause a person’s mental health to suffer, and it makes it very hard to feel hopeful. And without hope, we feel lost and defeated.
Did you know that in a crisis, less-hopeful people tend to shut down? (Source: Making Hope Happen, Shane Lopez)
It’s true.
And hopeful people tend to think more positively and create an image and plan in their mind of what they can do to get through the challenge they are facing. So hope is an action word!
Hope is action. Hope means you are thinking beyond this moment and already creating ideas and plans to get past it.
Benjamin Hardy, PhD, says in his article 8 Science-Backed Ways to Increase Your Hope, that as an organizational psychologist, he has found that hope requires three things:
- a specific vision of a better future,
- the agency to learn and do whatever is required to get what you want, and
- a constant search for different pathways to achieve your goals.
Rather than quote his article in totality, which you can read through the link above, I’d like to offer the following three suggestions to increase your hope:
- Believe in yourself & build on your strengths.
- Remember, you’ve gotten through worse in the past. How did you do it then? Figure that out, take what you can use, and do it again.
- Pray. Pray. Pray.
- Remember, you aren’t alone. Dig deep into your soul, plead with your Heavenly Father, tap into your source of strength and ask for guidance. Pray or meditate as often and as long as you need to. It will come.
- Get Creative.
- Remember, there’s more than one way to do something. When I started 10,000 Beds, the concept was unheard of, and therefore, questioned. But the reality was (and is), just because something has never been done doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Find an alternative plan and make it happen.
Martin Luther said, “Everything that is done in this world is done by hope.”
I believe that, Never let anything rob your HOPE. Hope for rain in a drought (prayer), hope for a loved one’s recovery (prayer), hope for a change of heart (prayer).
Hope and prayer are forever entwined. And I hope it keeps raining.