Identify and commit to your fundamental values, as hope is cultivated by a radical commitment to caring and loving, which helps you double down on hope.
Examine the narrative you tell yourself about your life, assess if it serves you, and integrate overlooked successes to create a counter-story that more accurately reflects your full reality.
Acknowledge and accept your own fallibility and fears, as this self-awareness is crucial for building bridges with others and recognizing their shared humanity.
Recognize that you are never in a choice-free environment; actively making decisions, even small ones, provides reason to hope and can lead to optimal outcomes.
Base your optimism on a thoughtful appreciation of how the world works, reading the room, and connecting past experiences to reasonably expect positive future outcomes, rather than fantasy.
Define specific, meaningful outcomes you are working towards, as a clear “end game” is essential for a hopeful person to create a plan and measure progress.
Develop the ability to envision a future that isn’t currently visible, imagining it in enough detail to work towards it and recognize its emerging pieces, grounded in some data.
View uncertainty not with anxiety, but as a field of possibilities where your desired outcomes are still achievable, challenging those who claim things are impossible.
Stop telling stories that don’t serve your goals, such as expecting a “horrible, fiery mess,” and instead pivot to narratives supported by the actual, often successful, data of your life.
Intentionally focus on positive data and supportive narratives, such as people who believe in you or the healthy aspects of a situation, rather than dwelling on failures or negative details.
Be flexible and adapt your approach when an articulated plan doesn’t work out, ensuring you remain focused on achieving the core intention of your ultimate goal.
Surround yourself with people who can reflect reasons for hope, help with creative problem-solving, and provide the fuel of gratitude and shared purpose, actively connecting through everyday actions.
Empirically review your own life and the lives of others for evidence that confirms the feasibility of your goals, even if difficult, piecing together successful strategies from various models.
Take on the responsibility for loving and caring for people, especially during their worst moments, trusting that what you need will be provided as you create a world of love.
Make daily choices about the person you want to become, actively shaping yourself towards desired versions, as these choices accumulate and pay off over time.
Use moments of crisis, like a pandemic, as opportunities to reflect on what has been learned and capitalize on those insights to create more humane and effective systems for families and communities.
Shift your focus from superficial concerns to fundamental issues like thriving families and social justice, and intentionally plan towards improving these larger, more meaningful outcomes.
Disregard those who tell you what you cannot do, trusting your inner intuition that “this is not the end game” and that a better future is possible for you.
Acknowledge that your life is a collection of moments where people (friends, teachers, community) have made decisions to love and support you into your reality, contributing to your success.
Apply the practice of re-evaluating narratives to intergroup relationships, seeking counter-stories and data that allow for more beautiful and hopeful coexistence across lines of human difference.
Have open conversations with others about their experiences and challenges, seeking common ground and “bridges” to foster understanding and celebrate shared humanity.
When overwhelmed by stress or limited choices, allow for a “good dose of denial” as a temporary coping mechanism to bridge you to a point where you can process data differently and regain hope.