What Gives You Hope? 7 Guaranteed Ways to Find Hope

Okay, I can’t absolutely guarantee it, but I can share from recent experience during some seemingly hopeless times a few things that have shored up my faith and hope, and have made me smile through tears. 1. Find a yellow daffodil about to bloom and enjoy a one-minute reverie. 2. Close your eyes and pet your dog or cat or someone else’s. Better yet, find a puppy and smell its breath. 3. Or a baby. Find a baby and smell her breath. Or skin. Touch it and feel the velvet. 4. Pop a sweet ripe strawberry into your mouth and wait before chewing. 5. Focus your attention on the high pitched chirping of birds building nests in anticipation of babies to come. 6. Watch a ridiculously funny video. And this last one, just in: 7. Write a check to a nonprofit organization when two beautiful young adults come to your door soliciting funds. That’s what happened just moments ago while I was finishing this post. The doorbell rang (it’s dinnertime, of course), our dog Bean went wild, and I hopped off the kitchen stool to open the front door. Two 20-somethings, a blue-eyed man and espresso-skinned woman with an electric smile, explained that they're from Save the Children. I knew the minute I opened the door that I would be opening my checkbook, in spite of recessionary fears. Not just because of the cause, but because of their passion, warmth, and sincerity. And because it would inspire hope. We talked about human contact, about face-to-face meetings like this, and they shared how much they love their work because they get to meet real people in real time, as compared to emailing, Facebooking, and Twittering. I can’t tell you how much hope it gives me to see young people who sincerely care about others, and demonstrate it. Not that most don’t, but it’s not something I get to see every day - and feel in such a visceral way. I was going to write a different #7 above, but I’ll save that for another time. For now, I’d best get started on dinner. I have a recipe for an outstanding fennel beet ginger puree I'm about to make. And if the color, taste, texture, and smell of that doesn’t make me hopeful, maybe the fresh mint and dollup of yogurt that garnish it will! So -- what gives you hope? Always hope, Lorirn__ Lori HopernAuthor • Speaker • Editor www.LoriHope.com -- This post originally appeared on Lori's CarePages blog, "what helps. what hurts. what heals."