The Importance of Hope

Driving home a few days ago I saw a beautiful double rainbow.  This immediately brought a smile to my face and I felt full of hope.  In the Bible, a rainbow is used as a symbol of a promise from God.  This really got me to thinking about hope and the importance of hope in our lives.  

What is Hope?

We all know that some days are really dark and we can feel alone and disheartened.  The hope for better days is what gets us through the dark ones.  I think what inspires hope is as unique and individual as we are.  

So, maybe hope is the bright spot in an otherwise drab day that reminds us that things can and will get better.  

Where Does Hope Come From?

  Like I said, hope is going to be unique to each of us; but I think there are some universal things that can inspire hope as well.  One example is the rainbow.  

How does seeing a rainbow make you feel; do you feel hopeful, happy, content?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this; please leave me a comment telling me how you feel about rainbows and what brings you hope in general. 

What are some other universal things that inspire hope? I would be willing to wager seeing a baby laugh, or watching baby animals playing brings hope bubbling up inside us.  

For me, any of the things I just mentioned make me feel hopeful.  Other things that make me feel hopeful are big white puffy clouds on a sunny day, butterflies fluttering by, seeing the first signs of spring as the world comes back to life and the beautiful color of leaves in the fall.  

I know these are all simple things that happen routinely.  But, I think that is the whole point.  Knowing that these things happen, have happened since the beginning of time, and will continue happening is what inspires hope.  These things are constants, that for the most part are impervious to change and we can count on them.  

So, then, in addition to being a bright spot, hope is also assuredness.  Now, you don’t have to accept or agree with my thoughts about hope.  I would truly like to hear your thoughts about it as well.  

What To Do When You Feel Hopeless

I know life is not all rainbows and sunshine and some days you can’t seem to find the good, no matter how hard you look.  This is perfectly normal and it does not mean that you are suffering from depression.  

It’s important to know that you can feel depressed without qualifying for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder.  Everyone feels depressed from time to time and there are very specific criteria you must meet in order to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder.