A Lifestyle Lesson for More Hope

The world can be overwhelming. We all feel pressured to fill up each day so we can lie our heads down feeling as though we accomplished something meaningful. And if we spend any time paying attention to the great problems of today, it’s easy to start to feel hopeless.

But hope is the magic that makes all solutions possible. It’s the remedy to doubt and despair, and if we are going to continue our evolution as humans, we must remain genuinely hopeful of what’s to come.

In moments of doubt and despair, here are a few things that can help.

SEE: Notice what triggered your doubt and despair.

These experiences don’t come out of nowhere. They are usually a product of facing a problem that feels overwhelming.

This can be as big as the problem of climate change. Or it might be something that feels as small as deciding what’s for dinner.

In any case, doubt and despair always have a trigger. When we can create a story to match them, that gives us an opportunity to rewrite it.

STOP: Stop indulging doubt and despair.

This means avoiding media outlets that only focus on problems and rarely present solutions. This also means avoiding family and friends who insist on complaining and dooms-daying.

Doubt and despair are programmed lies that disempower us to take control of our reality and our lives. Don’t feed the beast.

Simply notice your mind has wandered there and pull yourself away.

START: Nurture the soil that grows hope.

Hope sprouts where possibility is planted. Whenever you feel pulled to imagine a dooms day or worst case scenario, ask yourself “What would I prefer to happen instead?”

And then put energy into that.

Many of us protect ourselves from feeling hope in the first place because we don’t want to feel disappointed. But disappointment is not the same as doubt and despair. Disappointment is an important skill to master as a human being in a human body.

Disappointment can be moved through with tears. It allows us to let go and move on.

If you happen to be struggling with disappointment, make space for it. Journal, grieve, and talk to someone who might understand.

Sometimes all it takes for hope to blossom is a good rain of tears.

MAGIC MANTRA: My hopes and dreams matter.