When we look around the world today, with politics, climate change, mass migration, war and famine, there seems to be little reason to hope, to have faith in the possibilities of the future; and yet you could argue that to have hope is what we need most in these uncertain times. Hope will be the thing that pulls us through, hope can sustain us and is an essentially human trait. Even in the depths of human tragedy hope is what can sustain us. Viktor Frankl speaks of this in his book reflecting on the suffering in the concentration camps in Nazi Germany

“Those who know how close the connection is between the state of mind of a man – his courage and hope, or lack of them – and the state of immunity of his body will understand that the sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect.”

Viktor E. Frankl, Mans’ search for Meaning

So what is hope and how do we get more of it?

Hope is our ability to think towards the future in a positive way, to see a way forward to that goal or outcome and to be aware of our own agency in creating that. As Jane Goodall, the famous environmentalist, says in The Book of Hope:

“Hope is often misunderstood. People tend to think that it is simply passive wishful thinking: I hope something will happen but I’m not going to do anything about it. This is indeed the opposite of real hope, which requires action and engagement.” 

Jane Goodall, The Book of Hope

We live in a world that tells us we should be in control of everything. The expectation to make something of our life, to be that glossy business person, to be successful – financially and otherwise, to be in control of our emotions at all times, to ‘have it all’ and more; and yet so much seems to be out of our control. We only need to look at the news to feel that sense of powerlessness to help, too insignificant to make any change in the world.

This powerlessness is what can lead us down a path of anxiety, worry, depression, and a sense of hopelessness. Is that something you have experienced?

So what can we do when we feel like that? It comes back to a few simple things.

It begins with the present moment and finding the gratitude for what we have and where we are at. Noticing the good, and accepting the not so good. Hope doesn’t negate the bad it accepts that it’s there and looks also for the positive. As a regular practice ‘gratitude’ has been shown to have huge positive impact on the health of our being (more on this in another blog)

Next, take time to think about the future you would like to create, and remember this is not in a vacuum but with consideration for others in your life, your responsibilities, your community (though this may also be something you also want to change) What do you envision for your future? and how can you bring that to life? – really imagine all the details whilst being realistic….. In other words I’m not going to envision myself winning the lottery as this doesn’t feel like a realistic vision (nice, but not realistic) It’s also important to consider how you feel about this vision. Does it excite you or overwhelm you? Choose, if you can, something that excites you.

Finally what can you, as an individual or working with others, do towards this positive vision?     This is about action!     In an era of endless meetings, debates, and committees, action is underrated; and yes, it doesn’t need to be physical, it could be a conversation or a brainstorm. The key is forward movement and a sense of progress towards a goal or outcome.

As humans we are undeniably social creatures, we work better when we have interaction with others (yes, even you introverts!!) and we don’t thrive when we work entirely alone. So, when it comes to cultivating hope it can be useful to have support and encouragement with all the different ways that we can work towards it.

This is where coaching can really help, a regular supportive conversation to focus on the key elements to growing a more hopeful outlook.

Are you interested in cultivating hope and taking positive action?

As a wellbeing coach I help my clients with each stage of this process, helping to cultivate a more hopeful outlook and move towards action and engagement in areas where they can make a difference and achieve their vision. I work with people on-line and in the Kingston and Surbiton area with Coaching and Mentoring.

If this is something you would like more of in your life get in touch! I’m just an email away.