Maintaining Hope

 

“I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.” Psalm 119:147 NKJV

 

This summer, I was busy creating a segment of the curriculum for the Children of Inmates (COI) Teen Leadership Summer Program 2013 entitled “Daily Motivational Thoughts.” During this summer program, the teens received a daily motivational thought adapted from my book THRIVE! One daily motivational thought focused on maintaining hope. Here’s an excerpt from what I prepared for them:

“In life, as you pursue your dreams, struggles will come. The struggle may come in the form of a serious illness, death in the family, disappointments, job loss, or some other tragedy. The struggle does not mean that the dreams that you have for your future are over. The struggle is a signal to maintain hope and press through. The key to maintaining hope is optimism rooted in your core values.”

My deepest core value is faith in God. My faith says: 1) God is with me, 2) God is for me, 3) God has a good purpose and destiny for my life, and 4) God will help me move through life’s challenges. My faith keeps me hopeful and optimistic.

Are you hopeful and optimistic? I have learned that there are also scientific reasons to cultivate an optimistic point of view. According to a longitudinal study of Harvard students over a 35 year period, optimists were significantly healthier than pessimists throughout life. Optimists tend to be more resilient when difficulties arise, believing that they will be able to overcome. Author Jon Gordon’s website provides strategies for staying positive and becoming more optimistic. Check out his website.

How do you maintain hope?

 

“There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of one small candle.” ~ Anonymous

 

About Linda Freeman

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Linda Pulley Freeman combines her specialized training in environmental and chemical engineering with her deep ministerial commitment as she serves mission fields at home and abroad.

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