Here are some ways to practice hope:
First, we must keep in mind that hope is active, it is some thing we do rather than some thing we have. If you find yourself in a situation that you would like to turn around. Well get out and start doing something about it. Put some action behind your hope.

Second, surround yourself, with positive uplifting people that are out to better than selves in the world. Proverb 27:17 says "As iron, sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the other.” To help us stay sharp and motivated, we need to surround ourselves with positive and uplifting people to keep us with a positive attitude toward our idea of hope.

Thirdly, make a list of possibilities. Plan short term goals to change what you can and take steps to move yourself closer to the outcomes you hope to achieve. Do this while continuing to trust that things will work out if you continually take steps forward towards your goals.

Stay tuned for the final thoughts on An Ideal of HOPE, Part 4

Fulfilling, our ideal of hope, looks different for different people. Sometimes this is a practice that we do without even realizing it. We apply actions to our home because we know that just by hoping for something and yet taking no action has little to no affect. The same goes for our perfect idea of hope for our lives. We put in the time, we stay dedicated and motivated by our goals and dreams by keeping a clear image in our heads of what we want. Further, we translate those dreams and ideas into action. Hope allows us to approach problems with a proactive, positive mindset, and increase our chances of success in age and overall well-being, and is an effective buffer to stress.

It is easiest to have hope when things are going well in your life. It's when life gets difficult that we need to utilize hope the most. Continue to Part 3.

An Ideal of HOPE

The dictionary describes hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. An ideal is described as satisfying one’s conception of what is perfect; most suitable. In conclusion, it is safe to say that when you combine those two words together you “have an expectation and desire for what is most suitable for yourself.”

Hope is compelling because it is universal. Everyone needs it, and almost everyone exhibit at least some measure of hope if they have made it as far as this day.

But it simply isn't enough to just wish for something to happen. Hope is important, because hope involves the will to get there, and different pass for you to take. Life can be difficult, and that should not come as a surprise to anyone. Yet, hope allows you to keep going down different roads to see things differently, and to try and make things for your perfect ideal. This holds true, even when there seems like there isn’t a solution. In fact, the word “Hope” is in the definition of the word faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Furthermore, faith, without work is dead. Meaning, if you simply wish on something to happen, but do nothing to work toward it, then it is of no use. Continue to Part 2.