10 Ways to Practice Hope

Hope is pretty hard to come by these days. With steady streaming news of terrorist attacks, political upheaval, death, taxes, oh my! it is enough to make you want to run under the covers until it all goes away. The sad part is, it is probably not going to go away anytime soon. The steady high unemployment rate and cost of living doesn’t add any sunshine to the mix either. It wouldn’t be hard to get down and depressed. To wonder why you even bother.

Well lets face it folks, that is not a healthy way to live. Depression takes a serious toll on yourself, and most importantly, your loved ones. But how do we fight it? Like anything else, to really stave off gloom and doom, you have to practice. Practice what? Hope. Hope gives us something to look forward to. It’s very essence is of the future. Hope is our yearning for something better, a desire. Hope can be had when you have nothing else. It is a foundation, something to stand on.

So your mind is set in negative thinking mode? You have to change that and practice hope. Because it is a lifestyle, a more positive way of living. To be hopeful. To not be negative! Here are ten things to do to get some hope back into your life. Do them even when you feel your worst. It’s like an exercise. Nothing happens unless you work it.

Ten Ways to Practice Hope

• 1 – Exercise!: – Ha! Ok, don’t hate me! Exercise is one of the best depression busters though. It puts some faith back into ourselves. You can control this and make yourself strong and enduring. We exercise to be better in the future, and there in lies hope for a better one.
• 2 – Get Outside  – “…everyday, as often as you can.”All I can remember from some sage advice from a vital 97-year-old woman. Its good advice! Not only is it more healthy but it allows you to witness nature and the changing seasons. Giving us hope that there is always a chance, time and again. It also clears your mind and puts you in harmony with it, which is not a bad way to live. Now go get outside!
• 3 – Spirituality: – I’m not necessarily talking about religion here. Get to know yourself. I’m talking about the true essence of who we are as an individual.and how your true heart feels about things. The better you know yourself, the better you can tailor your future towards being in harmony with that. Now that is something to be hopeful about. And too, knowing that there is ‘something else’ may ease your mind to know you are not always in control, and that is ok, and to have something to hang on to. When we rely on hope we get faith.
• 4 – Play with a Baby: – Babies are the epitome of hope. Nothing else needed here~
• 5 – Take a Class: – Always continue to prepare yourself for the future by continuing your education throughout your life. What a better way to show hope for a brighter tomorrow.
• 6 – Redecorate a Room: – Change things up to give your senses a boost. Do something positive and uplifting; something you hope you and your loved ones will enjoy.
• 7 – Get Involved/Volunteer:  – Helping those less fortunate sets our perspective straight. Once that is fixed, our negative, stinking-thinking is eradicated. No more “poor me”s or “who cares”.  Get outside of yourself and look at the world around you. You can make a difference. That is hope for a better tomorrow.
• 8 – Get Organized: – Just do it. Go through those stacks of mail, do away with all those magazines, and other useless clutter. It may not be what you would think is showing hope, but it does promote a positive lifestyle and can make us not have to think as much. If you’re not looking at clutter, you don’t have to think about it! It makes room for better things, like hope!
• 9 – Throw a Party: – Doesn’t that sound like fun? Don’t have a reason? Make one up! A celebration marks the end of one thing/era, etc. to the beginning of another. It shows your value of time well spent and our thankfulness as well. It says, here’s hoping to many more.
• 10 – Plant a Garden: – You can triple up here! Get outside, get your exercise, and plant some hope! The very act of planting a seed is hope for a delicious future. It is the very preparation of it. You can’t have a firm faith/hope unless you first lay the foundation for it.

You have to invite the good into your life. These are great, practical ways to do that. So much better to surround yourself with positive energy that feeds your soul as well as that of others. We should all practice hope everyday. It could change the world.