What is hope? Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire and wait from God eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit to merit it and to persevere to the end of our earthly life.
Everyone who is optimistic always lives in hope. Hope that things will not only get better but it will be made right. Hopes and dreams are powerful reminders of your free will, which can open your eyes to new and exciting options that you might never have considered otherwise. Hope is important for physical health as well—study after study demonstrates the connection. According to Dr. Mike Dow, hope physically “affects levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones—keeping levels of the former high and the latter low.” Naturopathic physician Dr. Jennifer Stagg adds, “The research paints a pattern of reduced risk of various diseases in people who have hope, and when they do fall ill, they have better outcomes. Hope can positively affect endorphin release and perception of pain.”
Unfortunately, hope tends to ebb and flow. Everyone struggles with hopelessness from time to time. These negative feelings can be self-induced or situation-induced, but no matter where it comes from, hopelessness can be discouraging and debilitating. Feeling hopeless is not a sign that you’ve failed—it just means you are human. When we lose all hope we lose a part of our soul. In addition, when we lose our sense of purpose, losing hope will not be far behind. We have the capacity to withstand tremendous suffering as long as we believe there is a greater purpose for it. When we remove our purpose, we begin the spiral downward toward losing hope. Focusing on what you want instead of what you’re currently lacking isn’t easy but the more you inject hope into your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, the more power you’ll give yourself over the outcome of your life.
Feeling hopeful can enhance mood, take away the pain, and help us live life with more vitality. And best of all, hope has no side effects.
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tunes without the words, and never stops at all.” —Emily Dickinson 
Having hope can improve every aspect of your life physically, emotionally, and spiritually.