3 Tips To Never Lose Hope

never lose hope

When the world says, ‘Give up,’ Hope whispers, ‘Try it one more time.’ ~ Unknown (Tweet this)

The greatest men and women of our civilization have one common trait—they never lose hope, quite often in fact, they hope against hope. Our world owes a lot to this unassuming, four-letter word. Times have been harsh and brutal, and adversity has been omnipresent, but those people that never lose hope have been able to dream impossible dreams and fuel brilliant passions.

If Franklin Roosevelt lost hope, America may not have been able to fight off the depression. If the early volunteers of women suffrage didn’t hope, women would never have become voters.

If Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King didn’t hope, the world would have been but black and white.

If Mahatma Gandhi lost all hope, India may still be an enslaved nation.

Never lose hope, my friends. There are countless examples—history, science, literature, politics—wherever one looks.

But hope is not the sole preserve of great people. Hope is what fuels life itself. Without hope, life is just an endless series of ‘activities’ that keep one going, but never truly alive. Everything is but a task, an assignment, when one feels there is nothing to look forward to.

Tips to help you never lose hope

One may argue that all the examples cited are of people already in power, who also happened to get the right breaks. But without hope the strongest man stands weak. Yet with hope, the weakest man can become strong. Positivity, fueled by hope, is a life force. If we never lose hope, it allows us to persevere and look out for the right opportunities.

But hope can sometimes feel hard to come by. All of us have low moments, when we despair over life’s shortcomings. Things don’t work out the way we want them to, and fate lands hurtful blows. We don’t get the job we want, the promotion we want, the person we like, the baby we desire . . . .

Still, as is often said, ‘where there is a will, there is a way’ and will comes from hope. Again, I say, never lose hope!

The wings of hope carry us, soaring high above the driving winds of life. ~Ana Jacob (Tweet this)

1. Persevere

Life throws a number of challenges at us. With time, they grow in number and variety. Sometimes the weight of a problem is so enormous that it overburdens us and we find ourselves sinking. Stress, tension . . . the negativity beats us down. These times are the greatest tests of hope. The difference between courage and weakness is to never lose hope, even when times are bleak.

Hope is that little ray of light that can brighten the darkest corners . . . provided you let it in. Many of us simply stop hoping. We let the frustrations get the better of us. We get embroiled in the affairs of people surrounding us—who’s saying what about us, who’s being bad to us, who’s doing better than us, who’s getting ahead, what’s going wrong with our own lives. By constantly focusing on the negative, we let hope trickle out.

It happens slowly, bit by bit. But people are so caught up in their lives that no one notices till one fine day we find ourselves a hopeless mess! Check yourself the moment you find that you are dwelling on any negative thought for too long—from the smallest to the biggest. Don’t keep thinking mindlessly about the problem and its negative connotations.

Try thinking of solutions instead. It’s a mindset change that will prevent you from falling into the long-term trap of hopelessness.

2. Talk it out

Everyone needs a confidant. Someone you can confess to, someone who won’t judge you for your inadequacies, who you can share almost anything and everything with; someone who can empower you so that you never lose hope. And most importantly, even though they should not lie to you—they will never make you feel that life is hopeless.

Find people who strive and thrive and not ones who fail and complain, whine and whimper. We all have a whiner within. But some people do nothing but. A word to the wise: stay away! Company always has a way of telling on us, and good company is not one that is determined by wealth, status, power or position. It is one that is marked by words of courage and hopefulness, even when everything seems to be falling apart. It will try to find workable solutions for you, even as it makes you count your strengths and tries to cheer you up.

Seek out such company and most of all, try becoming such a person. It’s a challenge, but it always pays rich dividends.

3. Fuel positivity

Search for inspiration. You’ll find it in droves, in inspiring movies and books, and everyday lives of some people around us. The power of hopeful words and visuals is insurmountable. It may take time but it eventually makes you start counting your blessings—things you overlook when you only focus on what is not going right in your life.

Life is never easy, even for people you think seem to have everything. However, being hopeful is being positive. Make your life a quest, a search for a deeper meaning or purpose. Volunteer for a good cause—one you believe in, find a hobby and engage whole-heartedly in it, exercise to keep your mind healthy (not just your body). Eat well. Say your silent prayer when you feel nervous about something and most of all, never lose hope.

Believe that you can be the change that you wish to see in the world.

Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark. ~ George Iles (Tweet this)

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About the Author

Megha has always been passionate about writing on socially relevant issues, education and careers. She works in publishing and also writes for newspapers, magazines, websites and books.

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