Sometimes finding hope takes a little work. Here are a few places to look.
1. Look to the past.
Remember moments when you felt peace and happiness. Take deep breaths, relax, and try to put yourself back in that happy memory. What did you see, feel, hear, or smell? You can look back at some of the hard times too—thinking about how you got through those times.
2. Look inside yourself.
You are a child of heavenly parents—an eternal being! You are blessed with life, agency, and strength. This moment in life is just one small part of your eternal journey. What strengths has God given you? What talents? Every beat in your chest and every thought in your brain is proof that there is never-ending hope for you.
3. Look for someone you can help.
“Maybe the reason we don’t have more hope is because we don’t give enough hope to others,” former Church leader Elder John H. Groberg once said. “If we want more hope, let’s give more hope to others—be more encouraging.”1
4. Look to role models.
Many people have faced and overcome tremendous adversity. Likely in your own family, even! Studies show that when we’re familiar with stories of our family, past and present, we are more likely to be resilient in the face of adversity. Ask parents, grandparents, and others to share stories. And if you don’t know much about your family, it’s OK—you can harvest the stories of faithful leaders, friends, and others you admire and start your own family legacy!
5. Look to the Savior.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of hope. Because of His Atonement, death is not the end. Because of His Atonement, we can always hope for a better future. As we turn to Him by reading His words and trying to follow His teachings, our hope will blossom.
Asking for Help
Notes
Find more help related to hope at mentalhealth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
1. From “There Is Always Hope” (Brigham Young University devotional, June 3, 1984).