Hope

Thought this was good from Actuate consulting

hope..where can I get some?


We have been talking about the importance of leaders having real hope and how that can help the people in their teams to move ahead with enthusiasm. However, the past few years of the global financial crisis has really knocked many people's hope levels down. Hopes of a business being successful or of long planned investments paying off richly or hopes of finding a great job have taken a battering for many people.


Also, as we see so much political unrest and huge social problems around the world, it is easy to become burdened with a sense of hopelessness. When hope is in short supply, apart from feeling down, it can lead to increased stresses in relationships both at home and in the workplace. A deep and ongoing sense of hopelessness can also lead to people doing some terrible and desparate things.


There are also different areas in which we place our hope, for example relationships, people, finances, resolution of world problems and spiritual hope.


How is your level of hope at the moment?


                  1                2               3            4            5        
              empty                                                     bursting


This leads on to a deeper question of  Where can we find hope?


Some people find it easier to have hope than others. Certainly people  with positive optimistic personalities do seem to find hope as a natural extension of their personalities.


Others find it hard to be hopeful. It may be that they are very analytical and logical and when they look at all the data they can't help feeling a little hopeless and overwhelmed.


10 tips for building hope


1..Try to keep focused on the good things that are happening in your life
     and in the world. Savour and celebrate them.


2..Don't let set-backs and disappointments with people derail you. Put
    them into perspective and keep going.


3..Spend time with people who are positive and who have hope. It does
    rub off. Laugh and hope with them.


4..Don't panic when things go wrong. Try to keep a clear head and
     strategically do the things that will help solve the problem and restore
     hope for others in the team.


5..Learn to accept the things that you cannot possibly influence or
    change.


6..Don't get overwhelmed by a media that seems to concentrate on
     feeding us bad news. Spend time reading about amazing people
     who are making a real difference in the world.


7..Invest your hope into things that have a real future. Be realistic about
    what you hope for.


8..Have a variety of things that you are hoping for. If you focus on
     one thing and that doesn't happen..ouch!!!


9..Don't let hopelessness win. It is a negative cloud that needs to be
    resisted.


10.Develop a source of enduring hope that is well grounded. Enduring
     hope is something that we can have in all circumstances. It is a very
     worthwhile exercise to examine what beliefs and values you have
     placed your hope in. Question and test your hope foundations and if
     they are built on solid rock they will help you withstand the storms of
     life.


     My Christian faith is the source of enduring hope that keeps me
     anchored. It is not a faith that I have taken on lightly or blindly.