Hope is one of those things we don’t always understand, even though we need it to live a happy, healthy life. After all, hope is what helps you see your situation and then shows you the way out. Hope is what helps you continue to care for your loved no matter how tough it gets. (You know how many times I said I hope mom has a good day today)
What is hope?
According to the dictionary, hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” Hope sees the potential in a situation. But it does more than that. Take a look at these synonyms from the dictionary “aspiration, desire, wish, expectation, ambition, aim, plan, dream, daydream.” All the things we want for our loved one who suffers with dementia. The thing to realize is that hope is necessary to live. Without it, we not only stagnate, but we also lose our will to live entirely.
Hope matters. Here’s why:
Hope. Without it, you can sink into depression and despair. With it, you can begin a path of self-discovery that leads to the realization of your dreams. With all that, it should come as no surprise that the hope within you matters.
Here are some more reasons why you need hope:
1. Hope keeps you from falling into the trap of seeing everything as a disaster.Despair thrives on negativity and will always point you at the worst possible outcome. It’s your hope that enables you to see a brighter future, filled with possibilities.
2. Hope enables you to see the lessons in failure.Everyone is going to fail at some point. While it’s easy to wallow in disappointment and use it as an excuse to quit trying, hope refuses to give up. Instead, hope demands that you look at failure as an opportunity to learn.
3. Hope keeps away useless, negative emotions.When we are willing to let in a little hope, it’s possible for us to negate the depression and fear that otherwise would conquer us.
4. Hope gives you the kick you need to go out and learn something new. We set goals when we’re hopeful. The tricky part can come after—when we need to learn new skills before we can even set out to pursue your goals. Hope is what moves you to do so.
5. Hope makes us look forward to the future. It helps us let go of the past so we can welcome a bright future. Hope allows us to see ourselves going somewhere and show us the way to get there. Without hope there’s no point and we give up planning a brighter future
6. Hope is healing. Studies have shown that patients who have cancer have better survival rates when they experience hope. Hope is a powerful physician!
7. Hope enables you to laugh. When you despair nothing is funny. Hope allows you to relax enough to be able to laugh even when times are tough.
8. Hope connects you to the people around you. Without hope, we isolate ourselves, preferring to hide away from the rest of the world. Hope is what drives us to get out and do things, especially with other people.
9. Hope enables you to see a positive future.Hope spots the potential in a situation, even the most difficult. Hope allows you to let go of the past and welcome a bright future. Hope sees us going somewhere and shows us the way to get there.
10. Hope then brings about that bright future. Hope is what visualizes the outcome before you even begin and gives you the roadmap to get where you want to go. Without hope first, you’d never know success at all.
With all the benefits of holding onto hope and all the ways even a little hope can improve body and mind, the adage of “don’t give up hope” is more important than we ever believed. So keep hope alive!
Are you hopeful? Which resonates with you the most.
Comment below.