The difference between those who let their circumstances bring them down and those who choose to embrace the goodness of life and find that comfort lies with the important element of hope.
Hope is a powerful antidote to feelings of despair and desolation. A life marked by hope is a life marked by optimism, regardless of where you find yourself. It doesn't mean that you are always happy or that you can't feel emotions like hurt, sadness, or anger, but it does mean that your view of your circumstances—and those of the world around you—goes beyond what is actually happening.
When you hold onto hope, you begin to understand that you are part of a greater narrative that includes both global and personal experiences of joy and suffering. Simply put, hope brings perspective. It can sustain you during the hard times and bring even more fulfillment to the good times.
While hope acts as the perpetual light in the midst of darkness, it's not easily cultivated in the dark. Develop your hope muscles while times are good so that you can better tap into it when life take a turn for the worse. Here are four ways to cultivate hope.
Seek Inspiration
Hope requires a dependence on something greater than yourself. Whether it's honoring a Higher Power or recognizing that the Universe has pieces at play that are beyond your control, hope is built on the understanding that you and your circumstances are not the epicenter of what makes the world move. Tapping into that understanding helps you gain perspective and allows you to not depend simply on your feelings about a particular situation.
Use times of prayer and meditation to reflect on the good in the world, starting with what you are thankful for in your immediate surroundings (including opportunities you've had and loved ones who surround you). Then, reflect on your broader community. Instead of harping on the negative things happening in life, see how people are caring for each other and improving the lives of those around them. See the world how it could be and recognize that your sense of being is found beyond the temporal world. Get inspired by all the good there is in the world—because it is always there, it is sometimes just buried under the muck.
Surround Yourself with Positivity
Oftentimes, the who and what you surround yourself with dictates whether or not you have a positive or negative worldview. There is power in surrounding yourself with positive people, environments, and experiences that bring you joy and encourage you to become the person you want to be. This doesn't have to mean that your life has to be all rainbows and butterflies, but it does mean that you should put some effort into surrounding yourself with elements that create a positive life.
This also means purposefully distancing yourself from negativity. Creating boundaries to protect yourself from negativity can be challenging. It might mean limiting time with a life-long friend or family member who is always complaining, turning off the somber news reports you've become addicted to, or switching jobs to avoid a toxic workplace. While it can be difficult to make these types of life changes, saying no to negativity and yes to your well-being can create a life that will sustain you through good times and bad. By leading a positive life, you are honoring your own needs.
Get Involved in Your Community
One of the most effective ways to get out of your own cycle of self-reliance and tap into hope is to serve others. Your community has local organizations that need volunteers to help pack lunch bags for the homeless or build houses for families in need. You can use your professional skills to create a marketing campaign for a hospice care organization or raise funds for a cancer research center. If you're looking to infuse small acts of kindness into your routine, check out these 99 simple ways to show kindness in your community.
When you get involved in what's happening in your community, you are exposed to different people with different views. You get a front row seat as a witness to people taking care of one another. It can restore your faith in the goodness of people and help you realize that everyone has issues they are facing; it's not just you. While you may not be able to completely change someone's circumstances, you can help bring joy and perspective to their situation. This helps to create a more holistic view of your own life, seeing that there is good amidst the bad.
Celebrate
The truth is, there is always something you can celebrate in your life. Celebrations are usually reserved for big milestones—birthdays, anniversaries, job promotions, and births—but you also have the opportunity to celebrate the little things. Take your spouse out for a casual dinner as a "job well done" for cleaning the house. Treat your kid to an ice cream cone for presenting her class project.
And the most fun celebrations don't even have to revolve around an accomplishment. Declare next Tuesday your favorite day of that week and buy lunch for your co-workers, drive outside the city to star-gaze with a loved one just because you want to, and wear your fanciest clothes to dinner tonight just because you're worthy of something special.
By creating a rhythm and mood of celebration, you can train your mind and heart to recognize the good in your life. This hope can sustain you through the thin and thick of life. Regardless of what you're facing, what you see on the news, or how dire your circumstances may seem, hope can help you look at your life and say, "I'm glad to be alive."
