HOPE-itude

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Romans 5: 3-4

I bet you’re shocked to learn I’ve been researching the concept of HOPE since the pandemic. Thankfully, the study of HOPE has become more mainstream in the last 30 years. In fact, HOPE research has flourished with the birth of positive psychology in the early 1990s. (Ah… the early 1990s when all I had to do was get my butt up for college classes.) The more I research HOPE, the more I understand that HOPE is a choice and HOPE is an attitude. You can choose to be HOPEful or you can choose to be HOPEless. Spoiler alert: I choose HOPE-itude.

HOPE-itude can be a natural attitude for some people. For others, it can be something they learn, appropriately called “learned HOPEfulness”. Regardless of the origin of your HOPE-itude, it is an attitude that is accessible to everyone whether being born with, learned, or a combo of the two. Of course, this doesn’t mean a person with a HOPEful disposition may not feel HOPEless for a moment or two because, let’s face it, life is messy. However, HOPEful people quickly reframe their focus, modify their goals, and seek alternate pathways; adjusting a HOPEless mindset to a HOPEful one.

People with HOPE-itude turn burdens to blessings, frustrations to faith, and trials to triumphs by altering their focus. While everyone’s HOPE journey is as unique as they are, it’s about the journey not the destination. A HOPEful attitude is about developing habits tied to success, reframing adversity while developing resilience, perseverance, and character. HOPE is not something that appears overnight, but takes time to cultivate, develop, and hone. All worthwhile pursuits need time to manifest, process, and progress.

If you are unsure where to start, I suggest beginning with an attitude of gratitude. When we focus on God and what He has given us, we see abundance instead of lack. In fact, gratitude is considered a miracle cure for anxiety while HOPE has an inverse relationship to depression. Grateful people care less about material things and comparing themselves to others; focusing on what they have, not what others have. They are less envious, more empathetic and selflessly forgiving of others. Grateful people sleep better, live longer, and express more feelings of peace and self-esteem, cultivating confidence and HOPE.

Those with gratitude have more HOPE in themselves and humanity, surrounding themselves with robust support networks. They cultivate more positive social interactions, seeking assistance from others while offering support in return. Grateful and HOPEful people experience greater life satisfaction and discover a higher purpose for their lives. Give me an abundance of gratitude and HOPE-itude any day of the week.   

My formal HOPE journey began on the cusp of the pandemic when my social network seemed finite. In an instant, my business came to an abrupt halt, and suddenly, I had a lot of extra time on my hands. It wasn’t long before I started going down a rabbit hole of worry and anxiety. I had a choice to make. I could focus on my lack and HOPElessness or I could change my mindset and focus on God’s abundance, provision, love, and HOPE. So, I started a gratitude journal where I wrote at least 10 things I was grateful for each day. Yes, there were days I struggled to find ten things I was grateful for, but I persevered and my world grew along with my HOPE.

While I know gratitude journaling sounds a bit cliché, it hit the spot for me and was exactly what I needed. I started seeing rainbows in the storms, blessings amid the burdens, light in the darkness, and HOPE in the hurt. I highly suggest developing an attitude of gratitude if you are low on HOPE. If you feed your gratitude, you starve your anxiety. If you grow your HOPE, you minimize your depression. A heart full of thankfulness puts the world’s worries on the run.

As believers in Jesus, we focus on the eternal, minimizing earthly distractions. Jesus offers all of us peace, gratitude, contentment, joy, love, and HOPE… all of which can NEVER be taken away. Through Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit lives within us providing us with eternal grace, infinite gratitude, and exponential HOPE. His grace never elapses, His love never expires, and His HOPE can never be exhausted. His HOPE never gets old, never fades, and never perishes.

If you still struggle with finding gratitude and HOPE in your present situation, focus your HOPE on helping others. HOPE is a special virtue gifted by God to gift to others. It’s a superpower within infinite energy. HOPE is contagious, growing in us as we gift it to others. In fact, when we gift it to others, we gift HOPE to ourselves in return… synergistically beautiful!

One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 11:1 where Paul states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” HOPE and faith have a synergistic relationship. They are stronger together than apart. Faith in God offers HOPE that surpasses earthly detours, focusing on an eternal destination paved with gratitude. When your HOPE wanes, an attitude of gratitude offers HOPE to cope. Develop your HOPE-itude with gratitude in God and watch your HOPE grow exponentially.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1