August 2, 2021
It takes no courage to be optimistic, but it takes a great deal of courage to have hope.
John Maxwell believes hope can be the greatest asset for a person or organization, and it is often the difference between success and failure.
But what is hope really?
Hope is more than simply having a belief or being optimistic. Jonathan Sacks says, “Optimism is the belief that things will be better. Hope is the faith that we can make things better. Optimism is a passive virtue; hope is an active one.”
The negative things in life may attract our attention and open our eyes to the need for change, but only hope takes us forward to do something positive about them.
Hope starts with belief. When you believe you can make a difference, you can take action. When you take action, you can make a difference.
Hope identifies goals. When you have hope, you identify specific actions you can take to create positive change.
Hope exhibits willpower. Dale Carnegie said, “Most of the things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
Hope finds pathways to change. Hopeful people find ways to improve their world. Hope fuels their positive mindset and their creativity. Hopeful people shine in negative situations because they can balance realistic thinking, the desire for a better future, the energy and will to take action, and the responsibility to help create positive change. Their motto can be summed up by the words of Nido Qubein: “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start. “
When you develop hope, you experience the following benefits:
You are inspired to believe in yourself and others.
You become optimistic about your future.
You become confident that you can create positive change in the world.
You are motivated to take action.
You find the energy to keep going when you’re feeling tired or discouraged.
Your belief attracts other people and inspires them to join you.
Steps to follow:
Cultivate hope for yourself. Belief is a powerful thing. You have much greater control over your ability to accomplish difficult things than you might think. You can improve your life and your situation. But you must believe in yourself to do so.
Develop hope for changing your world. All people can do something positive for themselves and others. What can you do? How can you make a difference?
Take action with other people hopeful people. Hope is contagious. Share your hope with others who want to make a difference. Positive change happens one step at a time.
-Adapted from the resource: Change Your World