How to Cultivate Hope

We all know that feeling. The one you get when something good is just around the corner. When you have a big project, life event, or trip planned. Or the feeling when you experience a beautiful moment: kindness from a stranger, love from a community, or catch a vibrant sunset.

That feeling is hope. It’s the belief that good is coming and I love that feeling more than anything.

However, right now, in the middle of a pandemic and all of the other hardships 2020 has brought to our doors, it feels very difficult to have hope. So I wanted to share how I began cultivating hope and I *hope* it helps you!

Years ago I started to wonder how to create that hopeful feeling in my life more often. I wished I could bottle it and take a sip whenever the weariness of the world caught up with me. How could I cultivate hope?

I started by looking forward to the smallest moments: the first sip of matcha each morning, opening the blinds to let the sun in, stepping outside to take a deep breath. Every night I would crawl into bed and revel in the comfort my pillow, sheets, and blanket provide.

These moments, by pretty much any standard, aren’t particularly special. Most of us drink something warm each morning and crawl into bed each night. But I no longer look at these moments as inconsequential. Instead, I believe these moments to be the key to having access to hope all the time. These moments are the sunlight and water that grows the hope in my garden.

The definition of hope: “To cherish a desire with anticipation or to expect with confidence.”

I can anticipate & believe in the good of the world (which for me is the root of hope) because I am creating good in the smallest moments of my life.

How can you do the same? Simple. Ask yourself each day “What am I looking forward to?” Do not dismiss something because you don’t believe it’s big or flashy enough. Lean into the simple. Lean into the mundane.

If you’re still struggling then I’d suggest starting with my This Week notepad. Some weekly notepads are about the hustle, but this notepad is about finding the flow of life that helps you thrive. It’s not just about what you do, but instead about how you live and how you want to spend your precious time.

There is space to keep track of your schedule and to-dos but at the bottom of each week, there are also three prompts to help you delve deeper: "One small step I'm taking this week," "Nurturing myself by," & "I'm grateful for." 

Let me know how you are cultivating hope right now!

I love you and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it,

Sara