HOW TO FIND HOPE & HAPPINESS

Even when the present seems challenging, we should not give up on reaching for a brighter future, says writer Bernadette Russell

Good advice for a brighter future

As an author and kindness campaigner, I try to create things that will help people find happiness. In the past few years, I have noticed more expressions of despair and worry from friends, family and colleagues, and it has seemed to me that we need help with finding and maintaining hope in the extraordinary times we find ourselves in.

On top of our everyday personal challenges, we have faced a global pandemic, terrifying climate change predictions and gloomy economic forecasts. Despite being a glass half-full kind of person, I too have felt a creeping despair. I could hardly bear to watch the news any more, I felt so overwhelmed by the enormity and complexity of the problems facing the world.

Then I realised there is a difference between active hope and passive optimism (the belief that something better will happen because we want it to). The hope I had to focus on was the kind that demands we take action, however small, to achieve what we hope for. If we try, there is a chance that something will change after all; and if we do nothing, there is no chance at all.

It’s easy to get caught up with thinking about what we don’t want, but we must ask what we do want, too. I knew that daring to hope for a brighter future and taking action in the direction towards that brighter future was the answer.

In 2011, I began a daily practice of acts of kindness, writing a blog about my adventures, which eventually became The Little Book Of Kindness, telling some of the stories of who I met and what I did. I included suggestions and exercises to invite people to try out acts of kindness themselves. Focusing on kindness made me feel more positive about the world and my fellow human beings. Later, noticing hope in decline around me, I turned my attention to where hope can be found; how hope can help lead us to a happier life.

So, I began by setting out to find some ‘hope heroes’ to give me inspiration and motivation. I looked for those who, even if they had faced adversity, had acted on their hopes and triumphed. I wanted to share their stories so others could feel encouraged, too. Here are five people I found, with some tips and exercises inspired by them to try yourself.

CREATE A HOPE COLLECTION

Ben Hogbin is a facilitator for the Wellness Recovery Action Plan, which empowers people to maintain positive mental health and fulfil their potential. The programme emphasises the importance of reminding ourselves what gives us hope and using that to provide the strength to recover from setbacks, worries and disappointment.

Try it yourself Build your resilience by creating a physical hope collection in a box. Inside, you might collect words, pictures, photographs or objects to remind yourself of what gives you hope. Think of it as a positive Pandora’s box. Her box also contained hope, nestling alone among troubles such as anger, grief, violence and suffering, but mighty enough to defeat them all. My collection includes a newspaper clipping about a poacher turned conservationist to remind me I can change my life for the better, and a pressed flower to remind me that however tough the winter is, spring always comes again. This exercise refocuses your mind on where hope lies, and soon you will begin to notice it everywhere. When you receive a setback, your box will remind you of how many joyful things there are in the world.

REALISE YOUR DREAMS

My friend, Ian Toothill, had terminal liver cancer and had always wanted to climb Mount Everest. To give him the strength to persevere, he remembered all the other challenges he’d taken on. They had also seemed impossible at the time, yet still he’d achieved them. He used this to spur him on, and he did climb Everest. All of us will face times when we feel we’re not getting anywhere and are overwhelmed by challenges. We can’t all climb Everest, but the spirit of Ian’s quest is the message.

Try it yourself Is there something you hope to achieve, but it seems too hard? Take stock of your achievements so far. You might like to do this with a friend who can help bolster you. Count every triumph: it could be passing a test or reaching a fitness goal. When you feel like you’ll never progress, remember how much you have already achieved. Then ask yourself: what do I need to do to realise my dreams? Who could help me? The trick is to make one small step and start off in that direction. I’ve always wanted to do an epically long walk, and instead of being defeated by the enormity of it, inspired by Ian, I started walking a little every day. I’m getting closer to my goal, one step at a time.

SEEK OUT GOOD NEWS

Emily Coxhead is the creator of

The Happy Newspaper, a colourful and positive periodical full of hopefulness from around the world. Emily is one of many in an ‘ecosystem of hope’ – people finding and sharing hope-filled stories.

Try it yourself Stay informed and hopeful by seeking positive stories. If you’re worried about a particular issue, ‘lean in to’ the fear by researching who is doing something about it and signing up to newsletters, podcasts and Youtube channels. I also shared positive news and hopeful stories on social media and became part of that ‘ecosystem of hope’. Don’t bury your head in the sand; you can be aware of what is going on in the world and still maintain hope. It’s important to remember that there are at least two sides to every story, and that the positive side is told less often, so we must seek it out and share it.

DISCOVER INSPIRATION IN LEARNING

Dr Dominic Galliano is head of public engagement at University College London. He encouraged me to look to science and innovation for future solutions to present problems. In doing

Hope allows us to believe that things can get better

so, I discovered inspiring developments, such as free public transport in European cities to combat pollution; technology to create dementia-friendly homes; and solar panels on roofs of homes in Bangladesh, providing a cheaper source of electricity.

Try it yourself Many universities offer free online talks and lectures on a range of subjects, which could provide you with hope and inspiration about the future. You can get active by getting involved in citizen science projects, too, contributing to the research that might carry us towards a brighter future.

It takes courage to be hopeful, but it is a happier way to live. Hope is the basis from which all possibilities spring; it’s our main shield and weapon against the problems in the world. Hope allows us to believe that things can get better, helping us to find a way through our dark times. It’s worth remembering that as we don’t know for certain what the future holds, that uncertainty contains the possibility that it could be wonderful, if we all dare to hope and act on our hopes together.

• How To Be Hopeful (Elliott & Thompson) by Bernadette Russell is out now