Hope for the Holidays

Writing about hope in the wake of recession announcements, job losses, and business failures seems counterintuitive. All this negative news calls on emotions of fear not hope. Yet when we hold on to fear, it keeps us in our immediate, short-term thinking. Fear not only stops you from realizing your greatest potential, but adds to daily stresses.

Now is the perfect time of the year to release the fear and focus on hope. The New Year is upon us and it is ripe with opportunity. So how do you create hope when every day you’re bombarded with depressing news? The following tips can help you focus on hope this holiday season and beyond:

H – Help someone else. Each year there are volunteer opportunities to help out at a soup kitchen or at a local church. Giving of your time just to chat with an elder at your local nursing home can be a meaningful activity and create hope in another person’s life. On one occasion, a gentleman who just lost his job, volunteered at a local hospital only to discover a job opening and a new career. It’s interesting how opportunities open themselves up when we least expect them.

O – Opt in to Optimism. Robert H. Schuller, Don’t Throw Away Tomorrow, states “Optimism refuses to believe that the road ends without options.” It allows you to see beyond your current circumstances and to believe that other things are possible. The choice is yours and once you make the choice to become more optimistic, you begin to realize all of the opportunities that are possible. All it takes is an optimistic belief and taking one step each day to get you closer to your desired vision. It is inaction that keeps you in fear and skepticism, but focused action that provides the momentum to make your desired change.

P – Prepare. How often do you prepare yourself for what will come your way? Are your finances in order to receive more funds? Have you brushed up on your interviewing skills so that you’re prepared the next time the phone rings to schedule your job interview? Have you signed up for additional training? Did you prepare a thought-out plan to get you to your desired future? Instead of waiting for something to happen, create a plan and take action to prepare yourself to receive new opportunities. I’ve heard people say, “but I’ve been preparing and I just heard the other day I didn’t get the job.” That might just mean that you’re one step closer to the next opportunity and need to prepare a little longer or take a different road. Have you prepared your mindset? Always having another step in the plan helps you to focus on moving ahead with hope rather than staying in the rigors of rejection.

E – Evoke Gratitude. In the most difficult times, it is necessary to evoke gratitude even for the small things in life. Often times, fear evokes thanklessness and that attitude can dig a deeper hole. But when you find something to be thankful for you begin to change your thinking patterns. You begin to look at more possibilities. This shift in thought pattern can help prepare you for the next level and stirs up options.

Each of us has the ability to be examples of hope, to have hope, to live hope or to give hope. In the words of an unknown author, “when the world says “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.” This holiday season remind yourself to demonstrate hope in your life.