5 Easy Steps to Living a Life of Hope

Hope is a force, a motivator, and a vital element of life.

When you have it, giving up becomes less appealing. 

In this regard, I would say that hope is the force that propels you forward in tough times.

The saying: “Where there’s life, there’s hope”, reveals a glimpse of its power and importance, for hope abounds where life abides —meaning hope flourishes through life. 

 In this sense, I believe it’s the last thing a person will ever lose.

And this is why I always say:

“The last thing to expire in a person is hope.”

Ziri Dafranchi

Without it, even breathing is not enough to give meaning to life.

And it’s for this reason that we must never allow ourselves to surrender to despair — the opposite of hope. 

In contrast, despair is our default reaction to the things we are most afraid of, and like other unhealthy emotions such as fear, anger, hate, and anxiety, we must not allow it to overpower us. 

 

5 Easy Steps to Living a Life of Hope

This post will teach you five easy steps to living a life of hope, and they are as follows:

1. Identify the cause

2. Give perspective to the situation

3. Find a solution 

4. See the bigger picture 

5. Look on the brighter side 

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# 1 Identify the Cause 

First, you must identify the cause of your despair.

Identifying the cause of your despair makes it easier for you to process your emotions. 

To do this, you’d need to ask yourself very targeted questions to determine why you feel the way you do.

You could ask yourself, for instance: What could cause this pain? Could it be the heart-breaking news I heard?

Perhaps, the loss of a loved one, a recent medical diagnosis, negative feedback about a job interview, a dismissal from work, or a sad discovery, could be the reason for your distress.

Often in life, small objects cast big shadows. That’s why focusing on the cloud could easily mislead us into exaggerating the size of our problem. 

Whereas pinpointing the issue helps give us clarity, which will, in turn, make it easier to provide perspective to the situation.

 # 2 Give Perspective to the Situation

In addition to identifying the cause of your pain, it’s wise to give perspective to the situation.

Giving perspective to the situation, with the intention of evaluating what has happened to you, allows you to see things in a broader sense.

As a result, it helps you attach meaning to the situation to process how it affects you.

In this way, you can adequately frame what’s happened as it compares to the entirety of your life. 

Remember that it takes more than a drop of red paint for an ocean to change. 

And although your feelings of despair are legitimate responses to what has happened to you, taking a step back to appraise your life could help you discover things to be hopeful for. 

Once again, I say: “Where there is life, there is hope!” 

Viewing the situation from the proper perspective could reduce the risk of pain. 

And not only that, but it’ll also help you seek help or find a solution.

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#3 Find a Solution  

After giving perspective to the situation, the next thing is finding a solution.

I’m a firm believer in finding solutions to problems. 

Every difficulty in life has a solution. There is no lock without a key.

No matter what situation we encounter, there’s always a way out. 

As such, it’s still possible to find comfort and healing after the death of a loved one, even though we can’t bring them back. 

There’s also the possibility of getting another job following the loss of one.

The same applies to our being able to apply for other jobs even if we failed a job interview.

Furthermore, there are cutting-edge medical treatments for most diseases, including life-threatening illnesses.  

So, instead of dwelling on the concern, try getting active in finding a solution. 

This will engender hope and dispel despair.  

You’d be surprised how finding a solution could help you see the bigger picture. 

#4 See the Bigger Picture 

What follows after finding a solution is seeing the bigger picture.

And it comes with the understanding that life is a series of different seasons.  Your seasons change as the years go by.

Therefore, judging your life based on a single season is unwise. 

What is more, the “Spring” you’re facing now could prepare you for your “Summer.”

All in all, know that every season counts. 

Taking the time to reflect on each circumstance, good or bad, and acknowledging that each is a critical part of a more excellent outcome will set you on the path to hope.

So, know that no matter what situation we encounter, there’s always a way out

It’ll also help you look on life’s brighter side.

#5 Look on the Brighter Side 

The final point is to look on the brighter side.

You’ve heard the saying: “Every cloud has its silver lining”, at the risk of sounding cliché.

Even though it might not appear so, there’s good in every situation if we care enough to find it. 

A job loss could be an opportunity to start your own business — a move from employee to employer. 

A rejection could be a redirection to something better. 

So also, could a failure avail you of the knowledge you need for success. 

Focus not on what has been but on what could or would be, and watch hope rise within you. 

Conclusion 

To conclude, despair can kill! 

It reduces us to victims of mere existence, rather than beings propelled by hope. 

Keeping hope alive is essential for overcoming despair.

Top tips to remember:

 Identifying the cause of your despair makes it easier for you to process your emotions.

Give perspective to the situation. o give perspective requires evaluating what has happened to you in the grand scheme.

Find a solution. Every problem in life has a solution. There is no lock without a key.

See the bigger picture. Seeing the bigger picture comes with the understanding that life is a series of different seasons. 

Look on the brighter side. You’ve heard the saying: “Every cloud has its silver lining.”

Even though it might not appear so, there is good in every situation if we care enough to find it. 

 I want to hear from you. Please leave your comment below.

Ziri Dafranchi is an inspirational author, poet, and author of the TRILOGY OF TRUTH (a collection of three expository books on life, identity, and religion respectively). Contact him at Ziri Dafranchi

Find him on Instagram @ Ziri Dafranchi

Twitter @ziridafranchi