Your Daily Dose of Hope

Two powerful and very different books that explore the theme of hope are The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall and A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. While their styles and settings vary, both offer meaningful reflections on how hope can survive—even flourish—in the face of hardship, loneliness, and change.

Here are five powerful quotes about hope—each offering a unique lens on what it means to hold on, rebuild, or begin again: 1. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” — Desmond Tutu This reminds us that hope doesn’t require perfect conditions—it just requires a glimpse of possibility. Even in our darkest hours, the presence of hope means the light hasn’t disappeared. 2. “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” — Martin Luther Hope is often the silent force behind every action, invention, and movement forward. It’s the belief that what we do matters and that the future can be shaped by our efforts today. 3. “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.” — Anne Lamott This quote speaks to the courage of showing up when the outcome is uncertain. Hope isn’t passive—it’s persistence. 4. “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” — Christopher Reeve Here, hope is framed as a decision—a turning point. Choosing hope opens the door to potential, even if we don’t know what comes next. 5. “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul—and sings the tune without the words—and never stops at all.” — Emily Dickinson A poetic reminder that hope is quiet but constant, nestled deep within us, often singing when we least expect it.

When hope feels lost, it can be hard to see a way forward—but even the smallest step can begin to shift your perspective. Here are three things you can do to begin reclaiming hope: 1. Name what you're feeling—without judgment. 2. Look for a single bright spot. 3. Ask for help or let someone in.

There are 4 fundamental truths about hope that you can always count on. That's today's Daily Dose of Hope.

Hope doesn’t always arrive with trumpets or grand announcements. More often, it shows up quietly—like the first light slipping through the curtains after a long night. You might recognize hope in a deep breath before a difficult conversation. In the moment someone offers kindness without expecting anything in return. In the way a child believes tomorrow will be better, just because. Sometimes hope looks like getting out of bed even when your heart is heavy. Other times, it's daring to dream again after a setback. It's in the laughter you didn’t expect, the idea that won’t leave you alone, or the simple fact that you're still showing up—still trying. Hope is in the decision to ask for help instead of suffering in silence. It's in the way we plant seeds in a garden before the last frost is gone. It's in the quiet choice to try one more time—at healing, at creating, at connecting. Hope isn’t blind optimism. It’s the courage to believe that change is possible, even when you can’t see the full path yet. It’s not about pretending things are perfect—it’s about trusting that better is still within reach. So today, pause for a moment. Look around. You may be more surrounded by hope than you think.

Hope has holes in it’s pockets. It leaves little crumb trails that we, when anxious, can follow it. Hope secret: it doesn’t know the destination it only knows that all roads begin with one foot in front of the other. Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer I love the idea that there are crumb trails of hope don’t you? It’s such a great mental visual that reminds me we find hope when we look for it. There’s always something that will be there for you when you need it, if you are willing to look. The poem also reminds us that hope is an active thing. It often requires action, a metaphorical step forward from where we are towards where we want to be.

Mental Health Awareness Month, observed in May, is celebrated to increase awareness about mental health and wellness, reduce stigma, and promote support for those affected by mental illness. It provides a national platform to educate the public, advocate for better policies, and encourage open conversations about mental health. I am not a mental health expert, but I know that hopefulness helps our mental health so I want to share a few things that mental health experts want us to know and be aware of. • Increased Awareness: The month aims to raise public understanding of mental health issues, including their prevalence, impact, and potential for prevention. • Reducing Stigma: By openly discussing mental health, the stigma associated with mental illness is reduced, encouraging individuals to seek help without fear of judgment. • Promoting Support: Mental Health Awareness Month provides opportunities for individuals and organizations to offer support to those struggling with mental health challenges. • Advocacy for Better Policies: The month serves as a catalyst for advocacy, encouraging policy changes that prioritize mental health care and access. • Celebrating Recovery: Mental Health Awareness Month also recognizes the progress and resilience of individuals who have recovered from mental illness. In the US 1 in 4 of us will experience a diagnosable mental health disorder this year and 50% will have have a mental health disorder in our lifetimes.

I want to talk about recognizing what makes you feel hopeful, in good times, in everyday moments and yes, in those times when you are frustrated or sad or worried. We all know that our thoughts determine our feelings, but many times it feels the other way around. In moments of sadness or distress it can feel like my brain is in a loop of one worrying thought after another. There are legitimately challenging things that happen in life and pretending that things are okay when they aren’t, isn’t helpful or healthy, but neither is catastrophizing and thinking about the worst-case scenario either. I talked the other day about having a list of hopeful things you can turn to, and this is another take on that idea. What’s one thing you can do when you need a bit of hope?

I recently read a book about a midwife from the 18th century who kept a journal and the entries were often 2 or 3 sentences at the end of each day it a shorthand summary style. Example: Cold today. Checked that Dolly’s fever is gone. I was home. And that made me think of modern day bullet journaling. I’ve tried it but it didn’t work for me but now I have a new idea and it could be a great recording of hope. We know it’s a renewable resource – so what if writing once sentence at the end of each day make it easier to be filled with hope? Daily Gratitude’s Growth Moments - Track instances where you stepped outside your comfort zone or overcame a challenge. Future Dreams – Dreaming on a daily basis is a great way to keep looking at what’s possible a key element of hope. Acts of Kindness – You could log those you do for others – imagine what a world it would be if we were all making sure we did one act of kindness every day so our journal wouldn’t be empty. Small Victories – A game-changer if you have to acknowledge one thing each day that you did well. Something Beautiful – just thinking about doing this made me smile. Will I have multiple entries about my cats or the hummingbirds – probably! Summoning Courage – this one I want to think about because my first instinct was to say – I can be courageous everyday – can I? Can you? A Hopeful Moment – this is what these recordings do for me right now – it makes me think about hope, and why and how it keeps showing up. What if you did the same? Even a few minutes each day spent reflecting on the positive can significantly shift your perspective over time. I hope you’ll pick one and start – maybe challenge yourself to try this for 10 days and then see how you feel? Hope, kindness, gratitude, courage – all renewable and never-ending resources for us to use.

I’m sure you are familiar with the concept of your tomorrow self. I use this little trick when I really need to take care of something I’d rather avoid or do something I don’t want to do. Reminding myself that tomorrow Phyllis will be really happy it’s done, is a good way to stop procrastinating and get it done. It’s crazy how I can dread something that ends up not really taking that long. Lots of wasted mental energy there! Recently I was looking through some old journals and planners where I keep notes on clients, things I need to do and general reflections of what’s going on at the time. I flipped through a few and there were notes on things that at the time felt really hard, or were causing me lots of anxiety – and looking back with the gift of reflection I can see that things generally worked out. That’s when the lightbulb moment hit me – What am I obsessing about now that will not be that big a deal to future Phyllis? Maybe not tomorrow me, but me in a couple years or so. Can I see how I might be allowing something to take up more mental anxiety than is necessary?