How can you cultivate hope when things look bleak? In many ways, being happy is about having hope for the future. I have been an entrepreneur for 15 years. I have won awards and published multiple best-selling books. I have made lots of money and been nearly bankrupt. For 11 years I owned a publishing company that was very successful in many ways but wasn’t making me any money. I was exhausted and I felt stuck, I felt trapped and hopeless. I was paying a lease I could barely afford, I was living in a city I wanted to leave and I couldn’t figure out how to get out.
Being a business owner is one of the most challenging experiences I have ever undertaken. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. I chose this path and I am clear that I want to stay on this path. Staying connected to hope is often the only thing that keeps me going. When I am hope-filled then I can take inspired action. When I feel hopeless, I want to hide out and stay in my pajamas all day.
Feeling like there is no hope is one of the most challenging emotions to manage. After all, why would someone even try when she believes there is no hope, and correspondingly, no possibility for things to improve?
Finding hope when it seems like there’s none to be found can be tricky, but it is possible and it can make the difference between giving up on your business dreams and finding that success is just around the next corner.
It’s important to remember that no matter how hopeless things appear, there’s always the opportunity for things to get better. Even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time, things can change. I have discovered that I can create hope by grabbing one tiny golden thread and pulling on it to remind me that I am connected to a miraculous life of wonder and that I love the work that I do in the world.
When you’re feeling down about your business, try these strategies to help bring back hope:
- Consider all the miraculous things you’ve done in your life. You’ve probably learned how to walk, talk, ride a bicycle and maybe even how to drive. Perhaps you’ve graduated from high school or college, learned a foreign language or raised a child.
Let’s think for a minute about learning how to talk. It doesn’t seem very miraculous; nearly everyone learns to do it. But consider how difficult it really is. Babies start out making unintelligible sounds. In a couple of years they can say a few things, though not very well. In a few more years, they can say a fair amount – though still struggle with pronunciation. This is all after years of daily effort.
So regardless of what you’re facing, remember your earlier miracles and know you’re entirely capable of working through it. For humans, the seemingly impossible is, in fact, possible. Remember when we thought no one could land on the moon or when there were no personal computers?
Take a moment right now to create a list of five miraculous things you have accomplished in your life. Just five, I know you could write 50 or more but for now, write them down and notice how you feel. Are you amazed and surprised at the difference? Did you have to dig deep to find five?
Here are five of my favorite miraculous accomplishments:
- I received a full scholarship to complete a PhD at Stanford University
- I married the love of my life and am still married 20 years later
- I gave birth to two amazing human beings
- I am living in a place that I love after many years in a not-so beautiful place
- I found and purchased the perfect house in just 12 hours
Notice that these aren’t necessarily related to my business, they are accomplishments I am proud of or that bring me joy every day.
- Absorb optimism. Surely you’ve come across people who persistently see the bright side of things. They’re the ones that could stand in the middle of the worst thunderstorm the world has ever seen and say, “I think it’s starting to clear up.”
Seek out these people and spend time with them. Their optimism will soon start to rub off on you. Talk to them about your challenges; they may have a perspective that can really give you a push in the right direction.
I surround myself with people who support me, who will boost my spirits on days when they are low. Make a list of the two or three friends, family, colleagues or mentors that you know you can call when you need to find your hope again. Keep their names and numbers in your phone so that have easy access to them.
- Think of activities that might inspire you. Use every tool at your disposal. Here are a few examples. What would you add to this list?
- Prayer or meditation could be a source of inspiration.
- Simple joys, like watching children play on the playground, might bring you the spark you seek. I love watching kids everywhere I go. This morning I played peek-a-boo with a little one while standing in line for coffee at my favorite coffee shop.
- Try reading books that chronicle the triumphs of others.
- Listen to podcasts about other’s entrepreneurial journeys.
- Also, spend some time with miraculous things. For many, nature’s bounty is awe-inspiring, from flowers and waterfalls to butterflies and spider webs. When you see what’s possible, you realize that you’re capable of remarkable things too.
I can stand in front of a painting by Van Gogh or Monet and be moved to tears of wonder and awe.
What inspires you? Schedule time to be inspired!
- Be courageous. Often, cultivating hope requires courage to take that first step forward. Give yourself the chance to find your way through your challenges.
If you want to find hope in your life, you always can! Although your search for hope might take some work, never give up. Keep working through it and you’ll discover that you have plenty of reasons to be hopeful.
The more reasons you find to be hopeful, the more joyful you will feel and the more your business will grow.
