How to Get Your Hopes Up

Where does your hope lie today?
Are you hoping for a job promotion?
Would you like to buy a new home or get out of debt?
Maybe you’re ready to settle down and get married.
Are you ready to lose weight or win your health battle?

You know the expression, “don’t get your hopes up.” It’s almost as if we are setting our expectations lower, hoping we won’t run into another unmet or unfulfilled goal. That sounds depressing, I know. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Is it true that our health and physical well-being can be affected by the way we process our hopes, dreams and failures? The answer is “YES!”

I read an article on CNN about hope and how it affects us physically. It stated, “belief and expectation — the key elements of hope — can block pain by releasing the brain’s endorphins and enkephalins, mimicking the effects of morphine. In some cases, hope can also have important effects on fundamental physiological processes like respiration, circulation and motor function.”

In The Anatomy of Hope, it described that “Researchers are learning that a change in mind-set has the power to alter neurochemistry. That’s because hope triggers a virtuous cycle. Hopeful people conjure a vision that sustains them, that causes them to show up for the hard work and accept setbacks.” In the article, they describe how hope is “not positive thinking, but part optimism and part believing you can do so.”

Here are 4 simple ways to help you get your hopes up:

1. Find your TRUE hope

   TRUE hope heals. So, get your brain on board. Start by writing affirmations or inspiring quotes on index cards and place them on your mirrors, car and work desk. Say them out loud daily.

2. Get moving

   Endorphins give you that “feel good” feeling (like cuddling with a sweet puppy). Have lunch with a friend or simply take a 30-minute walk outside for some natural vitamin D.

3. Fuel your body

   Start adding mood-boosting foods, such as salmon, spinach, turkey, lentils, avocados, and brussel sprouts, into your diet. Spring for options that include vitamin D, folate, iron and fatty acids. Healing super foods provide nourishment for your mind and body.

4. Find your faith

   A new study shows that people who practice their spirituality regularly are generally more satisfied than others. Joel Osteen says, “God helped you get started and He’s going to help you finish. He didn’t bring you this far to leave you.”

Find a sustaining hope that doesn’t include a “when” to make you happy.
When I get the job…
When I get a promotion…
When I find someone…
True hope is found in the PRESENT. It has the strength to withstand any storm and win the battle. True hope pushes us forward and does not let us give up on ourselves.