Hope

Hope

Never allow yourself to lose hope!
Hope lives deep in our imaginations. It is critical we dig down and find it. Hope must be caressed and nurtured. It must be fed positive thoughts and be prompted to grow. The stronger our hope–the more tangible our view of a positive future, the more powerful we become. Positive vibes flow from the hopeful. They impact everyone they touch. The hopeful are magnetic. People are naturally drawn to them. Those who find hope, and make it a fundamental of their existence, find a meaning for their life. They have purpose. They believe the destination they imagine is attainable, and will bring glory and personal pride throughout their journey.

With so many trials in life, some people lose hope. Their glorious vision of a positive outcome fades to black. This can devastate. Losing all hope multiplies the possibility of bad choices and actions–even the taking of one’s life! People who cannot imagine being hopeful are–hopeless. What could be worse?

When confronted with a new concept, do you begin your evaluation with the positives, or do you start by digging around looking for the negatives? Both positives and negatives need to be evaluated when considering something new, but there is a real danger in making the negatives the priority.

Too many people naturally tend to first look for negatives–why it’s a bad idea or why it won’t work. They see no hope in the concept. They think, “Nah. That will never fly. Bad idea.” With overwhelming negatives, they may just let the concept or idea die without ever seeing the positives–a great way to miss out on opportunities!

Think through these three situations below. Putting the positives first brings hope. Starting with the negative brings only negativity.

• The concept: “Look at this vacation brochure. Let’s go there!”
• The positive: “I hadn’t considered a place like that. Let’s take a look. Might be perfect.”
• The negative: “Nah. That will never fly. Bad idea.”

• The concept: “Our business will be more efficient with this management system.”
• The positive: “New systems can be challenging, but let’s see if it might help.”
• The negative: “Nah. That will never fly. Bad idea.”

• The concept: “Let’s invest in this new company. They look poised for greatness.”
• The positive: “Pioneers in an industry don’t always make it, but let’s see if this one looks solid.”
• The negative: “Nah. That will never fly. Bad idea.”

It’s easy to see, isn’t it? Start with the positive and hope can grow. Start with the negative and hope dies. The importance of having hope cannot be overstated. It is critical. Work at it–program yourself to illuminate the positives first!