Recently, a close friend shared with me how being hopeful is helping her deal with her chronic illness. My friend, who is also a medical professional, understands the severity of her illness and her prognosis. Yet, she chooses to keep hope alive. My friend and I will be the first to admit that it is tough to stare at the medical statistics of her illness and our previous experiences and still dare to hope. However, we must keep hope alive because when we lose hope, we lose the fight! Hope dies last. So, when there is no more hope, we cease to live. Now, what exactly is hope? What are the benefits of keeping hope alive? And what can we do to remain hopeful?
What is Hope?
“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” — Jonas Salk.
To hope means to want something to happen or be true. To keep hope alive is to remain hopeful and optimistic about the future, even when everything seems hopeless.
Interestingly, everything we do in life requires hope. Amidst all the doubt and uncertainty in life, we still get married, have kids, and start a career or business because we hope for a better and brighter future.
“Hope is the last thing ever lost” – Italian Proverb.
Yes, sometimes life happens and causes us to lose hope. You may be living through a dark season right now and may not see any reason to keep hope alive. In fact, holding on to hope may be the hardest thing you will ever do, but it is crucial that you keep hoping. Hope is a decision that we must make. So today, decide to keep your hope alive despite your circumstances. With renewed hope comes renewed energy and courage to face the unknown future.
Besides, keeping hope alive is essential for your physical and mental health and well-being, as you can see below.
Health Benefits of Hope
1. Promotes overall mental health.
2. Reduces suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, and stress.
3. Helps people cope with illnesses and adverse conditions in life.
4. Produces greater life satisfaction.
5. Leads to a higher sense of purpose in life.
6. Improves quality of life.
7. Improves social well-being.
8. Reduces chronic illnesses.
9. Results in fewer sleep problems.
10. Improves physical health.
In summary, keeping hope alive leads to better mental and physical health. In fact, hope helps you live your best in the present moment while you look forward to the future.
How to keep hope alive
“Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden.” — Cormac McCarthy.
Keeping hope alive, especially when we face devastating life circumstances, is easier said than done. However, there are concrete steps you can take to help you keep hope alive. Although you may not feel like it initially, as you take these steps, you will feel a revival of your hope and motivation to forge ahead despite your circumstances.
1) Acknowledge your feelings
Keeping hope alive does not mean you deny how you feel. So, do you feel sadness, anger, frustration, or even hopelessness? Yes, you may, but don’t stay there because your strength and resilience lay deeper down. And you never really know what you are capable of. So, acknowledge your feelings and dig deeper to find hope for the future.
2) Remain connected to your family and friends
One of the reasons we are born into families is so that we can go through stuff together. Life also places us in a peer group to journey through life together. So, hang out and share with people who help you stay hopeful and optimistic. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved.
3) Practice self-care and self-compassion
Remember to take care of yourself. Seemingly mindless activities, such as taking a walk or binge-watching your favorite TV show, can help you see that there is more to life than the problem you are going through. Be kind to yourself and show yourself some compassion. Allow yourself to do what it takes to make you feel better about yourself. For more on self-compassion, check out “Practice Self-compassion.”
4) Find laughter
Although it may seem impossible, find a reason to laugh. Laughter is therapeutic, and you must look for laughter intentionally when it is lost. Watch comedy shows or hang out with a friend that makes you laugh. Generally, kids are the best because they say the cutest, funniest things. But I may be biased as a pediatrician.
5) Practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude may be one of the greatest arsenals in our life toolbox to face our future boldly. Thinking back and being grateful for what you have and all that you have overcome can be the fuel you need to keep hope alive for the future. Check out “Grateful for the Little Things.” for more on practicing gratitude.
6) Find a sense of purpose
When you face a crisis or feel hopeless, finding a purpose helps you emerge from despair into hope. Try volunteering to help others or engaging in a meaningful activity.
7) Find inspiration
Inspiration brings hope! Find something or someone that inspires you and immerse yourself in the experience. Try reading inspiring books and blogs. Also, try to join support groups, talk to people who have been through what you are currently going through, and let them inspire you.
Final thoughts
So, what happens when your hopes get dashed? What happens when you knew, based on your education, science, and facts, that the situation was hopeless and still dared to hope anyway, only for the worst to happen? Do you stop hoping? No! Instead, acknowledge that you didn’t win this time, but the battle is not over. You rise and yet hope again because keeping hope alive is the only way to face the future.
Consider this. In 1950, researchers estimated that the doubling time of medical knowledge was 50 years; in 1980, it was 7 years; and in 2010, medical knowledge doubled in 3.5 years. Today, medical knowledge doubles in just 73 days or less, especially with advanced technology!
We may not have the complete answer to all diseases yet, but dare we hope the answer will come eventually? Consider all the diseases we could not prevent, diagnose, or treat centuries ago, and see how far we have come. Or think of the various options available now for people to have babies. And that, my friend, is one reason to keep hope alive!
Now, you could be experiencing delays in other areas of life. Feeling hopeless could be related to your finances, relationships, career, family life, etc. Fortunately, there is advancement in every field, and new wisdom and solutions are available daily. So, whatever you may be going through today, I encourage you to keep hope alive.
Finally, I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then, you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13, NLT).
Please feel free to leave your comments below and feel free to share this article.
Yours in health and fitness.
Doctor Abi
