For me, hope is intertwined with my belief in a loving God who has purposes for our lives. To give up on hope would be to give up on God. In hard times, we learn that faith, hope, and love are woven together into the fabric of endurance. Love makes hope possible; hope makes love possible. Both are acts of defiance against tough times. They are both about active agency, choice, self-control. There is a lot of suffering in life, and how we will respond to it is our choice. Hard times either make us or break us, and that's up to us and no one else. We can choose to be consumed by sorrows and regrets, or we can practice the healing vision of hope.
- Celebrate what you have already achieved. So often, when we feel that we are losing ground or drifting away from the life we thought we wanted, we forget the good things we have done in life. If we're lucky, someone points out to us how well we've done in the past, and encourages us to keep plugging. Ask your friends and family to help you remember all that you've already achieved. If there's no one around to ask, free your mind of negative thoughts long enough to let your higher self speak the truth to you.
- Find your vision. The American mystic Charles Fillmore, founder of the Unity Church, wrote, "Thoughts are things." Your life really does become what you envision. In hard times, when life feels out of control, the right affirmations spoken aloud or inwardly contemplated can be a way to retain mastery over your inner self. Put aside your negative thoughts and fears, and look into the crystal ball of your perfect world: What is your best vision for your future? Where do you really want to be? What do you really want to be doing? You are what you think.
- Practice spirituality. Material things do matter, of course, but they rest on a deep and firm foundation of spirituality. Place your hope not so much in getting a better house or winning the lottery but in positive spiritual emotions that have healing power for others and for yourself. Cultivate a spirituality of hope, gratitude, compassion, creativity, mirth, joy, inner freedom, and inner peace.