How to stay hopeful in challenging times!

What do you hope for? We see that with all that’s going on in the world the last couple of years, more than ever, people need to have hope. So we thought we’d cover how to have hope and not give up, even when things are tough. This involves having ways to develop more hope for the future of our world as well as having more hope for ourselves personally.

One of the famous experts in the area of hope research is Dr. Chan Hellman. He’s a professor at Oklahoma University and also Director of the Hope Research Institute. In addition, he’s author of the book Hope Rising. Dr. Hellman has an unusual past. Because he maintained hope, he was able to go from being homeless to accomplish many notable achievements.

So what is hope? Here is Hellman‘s definition. “Hope is the belief that your future will be better than today and that you have the power to make it so.”

So why is hope so important? Here are some good reasons.

1. Hope contributes to increased physical health.
2. Hope supports emotional well-being.
3. Hope encourages social well-being. Hope is especially important to give children a good start and be successful in life.

Hope isn’t just optimism, it’s a way of thinking. That’s positive, because it can be taught.  Hellman talks about three ways to build hope.

1. Set goals because these are the cornerstones of hope.
2. Identify pathways or routes to your goals.
3. Have the willpower to take action. If you have a wish, it’s just a desire unless you set goals, set pathways and take action.

The more we desire the outcome, the more willing we are to face adversity to overcome it. Hope begets hope.

We asked our son, Matt, about hope. He shared, “Don’t just hope. Create your own destiny. We can control what we do, but not what others do.” Those sound like wise words.

Hellman’s research also shows that traumatic events contribute to people making goals that are more about avoiding negative consequences, than about setting positive achievement goals. These avoidant goals are based on fear. With the past couple of years contributing to lots of stress and anxiety, we can imagine that people will be making some avoidant goals to try and remain safe.

We also realize that with what’s happened in the world, people can benefit from their confidence being boosted. So much has changed and it looks like it’s not going to stop changing. If you’re feeling like you could use a confidence boost, you might want to watch Kathy Lee Gifford’s moving YouTube video called, There’s Hope for You.

Aristotle said, “Hope is a waking dream.” Gifford had a “waking dream”. Even as a child, she had hopes of performing. At age 6, she wrote to Walt Disney suggesting that he should get to know her. This sounds so very confident. Even though her life had “mountain-top” experiences, her own “desert” was where she learned a lot. Especially not to give up hope.

If you are facing some challenges in life and need hope, we agree with Kathy Lee Gifford that your faith can give you the strength that you need. She says, “I’ve discerned that if I just keep thinking about what I’ve lost, I don’t pay attention to what I have. I don’t want to live my life in hopelessness.” We agree that looking for the good in life, increase the hope for more positive things happening.

This reminds us of what Dick Beardsley, a famous runner, said about the importance of hope when we interviewed him a few years ago. He faced many challenges, including a near-fatal farm accident, overcoming addiction to painkillers, and living through the grief of his son, a war veteran with PTSD, committing suicide. Beardsley said, “They say you can live 40 days without food, 7 days without water, a few minutes without breathing, but you can’t live one second without hope.”

What about you? What are you hoping for? Is it hope for changes in the world or changes in your own life? Maybe it’s both. We hope the information we shared will help you put your hope into goals and pathways to action so you reach the success you desire. Also, remember what Desmond Tutu said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light in spite all of the darkness.”

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2022 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.