Hope Is A Discipline

"Hope is a discipline." I came across this quote from activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham and it gripped me. I've recently been saying that I am an optimist, but that I have to work at it. My natural nature is towards skepticism; that is where my baseline is. It's very easy and comfortable for me to say, "this sucks and it's never going to get better." But I've learned that this does not serve me. Optimism, hope and faith: these are all qualities that are proven to increase happiness and overall wellbeing. And what are we fighting for, whether personally or on a larger scale, if we do not have hope that it can change? 

It does not have to come naturally; we can work on it. Most of our positive actions for well-being take work and are not second nature. Challenging negative thoughts, treating ourselves with compassion, eating healthily, moving our bodies: all of this takes work. I think one of the biggest misconceptions about emotional health is that the things that are good for us should be easy and natural. But our brains love what is easy and what is easy is usually the opposite of what is good for us. Sitting on the couch watching Netflix and eating Ben & Jerry's is easy. Telling our inner critic to hush is hard. We have to work at happiness. 

So have hope. And if it's not there, that's OK. Treat it like a muscle. The more you work it, the stronger it becomes. Allow hope to become your strongest muscle.  
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