How to Not Lose Hope: 17 Ways to be Optimistic about the Future

Hope for the future
Photo by Adrianna Calvo

Negative situations and painful experiences can dull our perspective of the future. Sometimes, if we are surrounded by problems, we cannot see beyond them anymore. We have the tendency to succumb to hopelessness, killing the light in our eyes.

If right now you are in a situation wherein you are struggling to move on with life, then here are some ways to not lose hope and be more optimistic about the future.

1. Have faith that God is in control.
No matter what you are going through at the moment, find comfort knowing there is someone up there who cares about you. Trust that God is with you and He is close to the broken-hearted. If you surrender your situation to Him, have faith that He will orchestrate everything for your good.

ALSO READ: 60 Inspirational Quotes about God and Faith

2. Be prayerful.
Prayer does not only allow you to present your requests and pour out your sentiments to God. Trusting that the Lord hears you, it has the power to strengthen your will and make you feel secure.

3. Meditate on God’s promises.
The Bible contains many promises for those who love and follow God. If you want your hope for a positive future to be revitalized, then reflecting on these promises can help. Instead of focusing on your current problems, meditate on Bible verses that speak of God’s faithfulness.

4. Do not worry about the future.
You have no control over what could happen tomorrow. However, you can be wise with your actions and decisions today to avoid negative results that you would regret later. Then, just entrust the circumstances beyond your control to God like how the saying goes: “Do your best and God will do the rest.”

5. Work with perseverance and a ‘never-giving-up’ attitude.
Instead of being discouraged by failures, strive for your goals persistently. Never give up on what you want, no matter how many times you do not succeed. Always be positive that you will get it the next time while making sure you give your best every time.

6. Think of problems as challenges so you can be stronger.
Train your mind to consider problems and failures as tests that can help you become better. Each trial that you overcome can give you more wisdom on how to face difficult situations. Remember that what does not kill you will make you stronger.

ALSO READ: 15 Inspiring Tips to Overcome Life Challenges

7. Treat failures as the stepping stones to success.
Your failures do not define you—but your attitude towards them does. Instead of being discouraged from pursuing your dreams, treat each failure as an opportunity to increase your knowledge about your craft, improve your strategies, and work harder to be closer to perfection. Be positive that your newly gained learnings will help you hit the mark on your next attempt.

8. Fill your mind with positive thoughts.
Your mind plays a big part in your self-image. If you keep thinking negatively regarding your situation and past failures, then you will only feel bad about yourself—and that will kill your motivation to pursue your goals. Therefore, filter your thoughts and only meditate on what can be encouraging and beneficial to you.

9. Surround yourself with people who can boost your self-esteem.
As much as possible, choose the right kind of friends who can form your support system. Be surrounded by people who appreciate even the small things you do, and who believe that you are capable of doing great things. Moreover, keep a distance from people who only make you feel lesser than them and are fond of criticisms.

10. Get up stronger after each fall.
Sometimes, even if you do your best to avoid committing mistakes, you fail. Do not be so frustrated with yourself because you are not perfect—so failures are a normal part of being alive. Decide to be braver and stronger after each fall because you are meant to be a conqueror. Learn from your mistakes, apply the lessons you have learned, and be more determined to win next time.

11. Do not let depression beat you.
Depression is one of the usual results of despair and discouragements—and it can be dangerous. If you know this illness is starting to creep in, do something about it immediately so that it cannot defeat you. Strengthen your spiritual life, be physically active, and control your mind from thinking negative thoughts.

ALSO READ: 25+ Powerful Bible Verses That Will Help You Overcome Depression 

12. Look at the bright side of the situation.
Another way to keep your hope up is by choosing to look at the positive side of circumstances. Surely, there will always be something good that could come out of any bad situation. It could be a new opportunity, a chance to increase faith and wisdom, or a lesson learned.

13. Do not entertain discouraging comments from other people.
People may say something negative or offensive against you or your actions, but always remember that they do not know everything about you. Your worth as a person is not based on how people perceive you. You have the power to stop others from hurting you by choosing not to be affected by them.

14. Create a goal-list and always go back to it.
So that you will have a direction of what you want to pursue, it is advisable that you create a list of your goals. Moreover, your goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART). This way, whenever you are discouraged by failures, there will always be guidelines that you can return at any time.

15. Read or listen to inspiring success stories.
Listening to or reading about successful people who have gone through failures before reaching the top can inspire you to not quit on your dreams. There are books, films, and seminars that can help you get this kind of story.

16. Envision your dreams.
If you can envision your dream, then you can make it happen. Your thoughts guide your actions, so regularly imagining your dream coming true will remind you daily to focus on achieving it.

17. Believe that you are capable of great things.
Be the first supporter of yourself. You cannot expect others to believe in you if you, yourself, have no faith that you can achieve your goals. Always remind yourself that you are made for greater things so you should not be content with mediocracy.

Hope Keeps You Alive

Without the hope of better days ahead, living will be pointless because you have nothing to look forward to. Therefore, take each morning as another chance to create new dreams or pursue your existing ones.

ALSO READ: How to be More Optimistic and Positive in Life

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Cyril Abello
Joan is a freelance blogger who loves writing about personal development. She also loves learning and teaching languages. A Communication Arts graduate, she now pursues a masters degree in Language Teaching. She is into mobile photography, writing poems, and reading for leisure.
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Adwitia Majumder
Adwitia Majumder
January 16, 2020 7:40 pm

thank u

Frank
Frank
August 10, 2018 4:24 pm

Very inspiring