Hope. It’s a word we hear often spoken by children around the time of their birthdays and Christmas (“I hope I get ________!”) It’s also a pretty girl’s name. But, hope is so much more. Hope is a very powerful word and an even more powerful emotion.
Think of the times when you had hope. Perhaps it was at your high school or college graduation and you felt as if you had the world by the tail. Or, maybe it was when you worked hard for that job promotion or when you were moving to a new city for new start.
Now think of times when you felt hopeless. Maybe someone who was extremely important to you died. Perhaps it was the day you were served your divorce papers. You may have felt like you couldn’t even get out of bed or as if you were drowning.
Hope can rocket you over the moon and the lack of hope can plunge you into the deepest, darkest pit. What a powerful emotion.
Hope is essential for change. If you’re in individual counseling, group counseling, or couples’ counseling and trying to make a change for the better, you’ll need a healthy dose of hope. In fact, some studies have shown that patients who reported high levels of hope often report higher levels of satisfaction with their progress in treatment.
So, what is the key to hope? There are a few things to focus on when trying to have a positive, hopeful outlook on change:
- Think of times when the problem you’re facing didn’t seem so overwhelming. Usually, when facing a big problem, you can think back to a time when the problem didn’t exist or consume your thoughts. By focusing on that time, it helps put the problem in perspective and help you realize this too shall pass.
- Think about what life will be like when the problem is gone. Picturing life without the problem will help instill hope that it is possible. Having a future focus will give you something to shoot for and be another way for you to keep perspective.
- Seek help from family and friends. These folks know you better than anyone else. Many times they aren’t experiencing the same things you are and this helps them maintain an objective, healthy perspective. They can talk honestly with you about what they see and encourage you to keep trying in the midst of trying times.
- Consider talking to a counselor or therapist. The job of a counselor or therapist is to help you think through your problems. Many times they can help you brainstorm possible solutions and talk with you about how to implement those solutions and prepare for the outcomes of those solutions. The objectivity and fresh perspective can help get a thousand-foot, aerial perspective on a problem at which we’ve been looking too closely.
- Call on your faith. Often the people with the highest level of hope believe in God. It is their faith in God that allows them to hope even when the odds are against them. Believing the a power higher than anything human that is working on their behalf helps people hold out hope during difficult times. If God is in every circumstance, is any circumstance really hopeless?
There is a Proverb that says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Being without hope is a very sad, dark place. Without hope, we give up and throw in the towel, often without even trying or looking for a possible solution. By finding hope even in challenging circumstances, we have the motivation to press on, no matter how high the mountain looming before us may seem.