The Journey to Joy
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. “
-Desmond Tutu
As I write this, everything in me knows that hope is crucial, now more than ever, but I need to dig deep for hope. Coincidence? I think not! Synchronicity? Without a doubt! I am beyond excited about this topic because I have read and even better, experienced, that hope is an active state of being.
I believe hope is so much more than desire or expectation and it’s more than optimism. I prefer the second meaning of hope...which is that of trust. I realise that hope is placing our trust in the potential for a better tomorrow. Similarly, there’s a trust that you are making the right decisions for a better future.
I also realise that joy is a by-product of hope and simultaneously, joy sparks more hope. It’s a positive feedback cycle. Both hope and joy are healers This is a key reason hope is so significant. Researchers point out that “hope also provides resilience against things like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.” I believe it’s the joy that is wrapped in hope that creates this. Researchers have also demonstrated that hope is very much an ACTIVE not a passive state.
That means we don’t have to wait for things to get better. Hope therefore inspires an intentional way of being! Having said this, how do we generate or create hope? Intentionally filling your cup is a good place to start.
Shift your focus to what’s in your control:
Hope requires imagination and then acting - it’s not passive, remember (I hope you “whooped” as I did when I read that). Start with clear, small achievable goals right where you are. Don’t overthink it.
It may be drinking more water and then starting your day off with a glass of water. It may be checking in on yourself before you even get up for the day. Achieve small goals that will encourage you to move onto the bigger ones.
Pray or meditate.
For me, my hope is stirred when I pray and my mind is calmed, while I am brought into the present moment when I meditate. One of the simple things I do is simply focus on my breath for 5-10 minutes. Experience and studies have revealed that when you simply shift to breathing in and breathing out, you can’t think about anything else which is a great way of meditating.
A simple breathwork meditation: Sit your feet flat on the ground, with your arms in your lap, relaxed and palms up. Take a deep breath through your nose for a count of 4; hold for a count of 2 and then breathe out, through your mouth, for a count of 6. Repeat for a few minutes. This conscious deep breathing stimulates the Vagas Nerve in the brain, which is involved in the healing response of your body.
Put on your filters.
While it’s important to be realistic about life at this moment, you don’t have to actively seek out or fill your mind with all that is negative. I love reading fiction...so one of my practices to generate hope is to read parts of stories that I love.
Importantly, I have cultivated the habit of also actively re-visiting moments of success or moments that brought me intense joy to remind myself I have all I need to live in a state of joy, success and abundance...it’s there, it’s in me as it is in you.
Inspire hope in others.
This is a very scientific process that we often do without even thinking. Science demonstrates, through monitoring the areas of the brain that become fired up, that instilling hope in others is as powerful as receiving it. How many times have you been in someone’s company who needed encouragement and after you're done, there is such tangible positive energy in the air? That’s because they’ve been encouraged, but you have also helped yourself centre on the positive. People often say “I’m talking to myself here.” You have just experienced a very real shift in energy, causing you and the person you’re encouraging to vibrate at a higher frequency. That’s why the ancient scripture “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,” is actually really powerful.
Celebrate even the smallest wins.
Be your best and biggest cheerleader. Researching BJ Fogg highlights that habits are actually formed through deep emotion. When you pair your small victories with emotions of pride and excitement, you train yourself to want more of that behaviour, meaning you consciously make decisions and act in ways that generate greater hope.
As Maya Angelou noted: “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Invite one to stay.” I’m inviting HOPE in.
Becoming intentional about your journey to joy and creating those moments that cultivate hope is the key to bringing hope to life.