Hope Rises: Make Your Life, Love, and Leadership SoarSample

Building a Brighter Tomorrow  

Hope is a powerful tool that can help you build a brighter future. Hopeful people bring an elevated perspective to life’s difficulties. They see the possibilities in every problem. Hopeful people have a different view of challenging times. Hope-filled people share four core beliefs:

1. My future can be brighter than today.

Hopeful individuals have a deep abiding conviction that no matter what today holds, tomorrow presents new opportunities. The dawning of a new day brings fresh possibilities. That’s not to say that tomorrow will not present its own challenges, but rather that whatever may transpire, I am not a victim of fate. I can act responsibly and conscientiously in crafting an approach to life and circumstances that opens up new ways of seeing and addressing the world.

2. I have a say in how my life unfolds.

Hopeful people have a deep-seated understanding that what happens in them is more important than what happens to them. I cannot control what happens around me, but I can be responsible for the way I react to those circumstances. The choices that I make and the actions that I take are critical. My inner world is more consequential for determining happiness and health than anything that may occur in my outer world.

3. I can find multiple pathways to achieve important goals.

Hopeful individuals are not limited to a few choices. With creativity and through collaboration, new means may be found to ensure that significant goals are realized. Often, there isn’t a single “best way” to get things done. Usually, there are multiple routes that lead to the same destination. The key to success is often found in discovering these alternative routes when one pathway is blocked. The ability to be agile involves rallying the people and the resources needed to shift course when necessary.

4. I will encounter obstacles.

Hopeful people are not naïve. They understand that there will be challenges. There are times in life that one will face substantial headwinds. That’s acknowledging reality. I cannot expect life to be smooth sailing. That would be foolish. When the seas are high, it’s necessary to adjust your sails and choose a new tack in order to maintain your momentum.

These four core beliefs serve to anchor life for hope-filled folks in the midst of storms. This four-pronged perspective allows those with hope to effectively process and address whatever life may bring. Hope is neither soft nor is it passive. It has profound real-life ramifications. And hope plays an active part in creatively shaping the future. Hope provides joy and peace, recognizing that God has both equipped us and provided us with the resources we need to build a brighter future by the power of the Holy Spirit.