What is hope, anyways?
How do you define "hope"? I’d say that my favourite definition of hope is, “to cherish a desire with anticipation”. Not just to have a desire but to cherish it. To nurture it and hold it close. And to look forward to this desire becoming real. To look forward with pleasurable expectation. Isn't it such a beautiful way to look at hope?!
Even so, hope is much more than that.
Hope is not an emotion. It’s a mindset. A way of thinking. It’s believing in yourself, trusting that everything will work out. It means being resilient when things are hard. And pushing through because you know it’ll be worth it. That’s why success and happiness rely on hope. When you have hope, you’ll continue to strive for your goals until you’re successful. When you have hope, you’ll think more positively about yourself and create more happiness in your life.
If you have a dream, or a goal, you can take all the steps to make it happen. When you meet a barrier, how will you react? Will you let it slow you down, or tear you down? Or will you have hope that you can overcome the challenge? And if it takes time, more time than you thought it would, how will you react? Will you show resiliency and keep moving forward? Or will you give up?
Hope isn’t just a vague concept of waiting for things to work out. Those who are hopeful often value persistent, hard work and along with being adaptable, are disciplined and patient.
The power of hope in my life
Over the past 2 years, I’ve relied on hope. The unwavering belief that I will succeed, that my efforts will pay off. It’s not easy growing a business. The biggest thing it challenges are your personal beliefs and your own capacity for success. Success doesn’t have a specific timeline. And it probably won’t appear initially in the way you thought it would. When I left my full-time government job to pursue Coaching full-time, I didn’t have all the answers. I didn’t know the perfect layout of the path before me. But I had hope. I had goals, and I knew where I wanted to go. I knew how to achieve the goals and to adapt as needed. And I believed in myself.
A couple years before making that shift, I didn’t believe in myself. I didn’t think I could be a Life Coach. I hadn’t done the necessary healing work to get to know myself better and remove emotional blocks. I had doubts. Once I started to build that self-awareness and dove into the deep healing work, I was able to release old emotions that were holding me back. Even now, years later, I continue this healing journey to remove further blocks and live as my most authentic self. And that authentic self believes in herself. And she knows what she wants. She’s also great at setting goals. ;)
It took time to develop this resiliency, this sense of hope. Through my life’s struggles and traumas, I found myself seeking a sense of surety. But no one can give that to you. No one can make sure you’ll always be alright. That task falls upon each individual for themselves. Through hope and resiliency. So that even when you’re not alright, you learn to hope that it will get better. Then that hope drives you to create that better situation. Maybe you stumble along the way or fail, and you keep going.
Knowing yourself is important along this journey of hope. You must know what you’re hoping for, what you desire, what your goals are. Any emotions pushed down in the past, any truths avoided, all become blocks and can become barriers to success. Shine the light on the shadows to build your sense of hope.
How to learn to hope
Like everything, hope can be learned. For some, it may come naturally. For others, it may take extra effort and dedication. But it is absolutely achievable. After all, it’s a mindset. And the brain is “programmable”. Feed it the right content, and it will eventually learn to repeat the same kind of thinking. There are MANY ways to support yourself in a mindset shift, and you should find multiple strategies that work for you. Coaching support, therapists, physical activity, proper nutrition, meditation, mantras, self-reminders, etc, etc. This all ties into Self-exploration (explained in the steps below).
Here are some basic and essential steps to help you nurture your sense of hope. To help you alter your mindset so you can think with hope. It comes down to daily practice, and noticing your thoughts and reactions. You’ll also see that setting goals and striving to reach them is how you can practice being hopeful!
Steps to cultivate a sense of hope
1 - Self-exploration - Get to know yourself, increase your Self-awareness. Heal past wounds, release energetic/emotional blocks, change negative beliefs. Be a curious observer of your mind. Leave judgement behind and move forward with an open heart and an open mind.
2- What’s your desire? What’s your dream? - Consider your passions and your purpose. What is it you truly want to do or achieve?
3 - Set goals - Good, realistic goals. Use the SMART method. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-sensitive)
4 - Identify barriers - Recognize potential barriers, things that could get in your way or slow you down and plan for them. You can’t plan for or anticipate everything, and that’s when you use your adaptability.
5- Energy and effort - Realize that not everything comes easy or fast. And not everything requires you to push yourself to extremes. Think about your energy and the value of your time. Where do you need to put your effort/energy to reach your goals?
6- Self-reflection - When you get overwhelmed or doubt yourself, look inwards. What thoughts/emotions are coming up? Continue the self-exploration, and keep re-evaluating each step listed above. As you grow, and as you succeed, you will change, and your goals will change, too.
With these steps, you can train yourself to strive for success and happiness with hope as your armour. No more blaming situations, lack of resources, or others for your lack of success or happiness. No more relying on other people to make things happen for you. When you meet a challenge, you can overcome it with the right mindset. When you feel overwhelmed, you can goal-set and plan. With hope, you can achieve all your goals. With hope, you can create a happy life that you adore.
Reflections as you move forward
Success and happiness rely on hope. Cultivate your sense of hope. Explore what it means to you.
Consider…
How does hope show up in your life?
How can you invite more hope into your thought-processes?
What’s the one thing you can do today to be more hopeful?
Much Love,
Andreana
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