“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”
This quote is by Barack Obama, who was President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He continues to be involved in important work, including speaking about preserving our democracy, as well as being involved in philanthropy, writing, and making documentaries. I consider him to have been one of the most effective Presidents during my lifetime.
This quotation resonates with me because of its emphasis on the importance of our endeavoring to add to that which is hopeful in our world. When we’re feeling down, it can be hard to find the motivation to, as Obama says, “get up and do something”; it can be hard even to have an idea of what to do. Asking for guidance through prayer and trying to listen to our inner voice can help.
Once we have an idea of what we might do to “go out and make some things happen,” as Obama says, we need to remember to not put unreasonable expectations on ourselves and to take things a step at a time. Even those beginning steps can result in our feeling more vital and therefore more hopeful.
It can help us to have a sense of purpose by becoming involved in causes we believe in and by assisting others through various organizations such as food shelves, children’s tutoring programs, and other types of volunteering. It’s easy to search online to learn about volunteer opportunities in the communities where we live. I believe we can also decrease the tendency for feeling hopeless by the choices we make for how we spend our free time, such as by finding and pursuing personal interests that are meaningful to us, reading well written books, and spending time in nature, all of which can lift our spirits and thus help us to be more hopeful.
Another way we can help ourselves feel more hopeful is to limit the amount of news we read or watch. It’s one thing to be adequately informed; it’s another to read about or watch repeated coverage of the same happenings. This repetition tends to multiply the negative effects news has on us emotionally. Therapists frequently recommend limiting exposure to news to their clients who struggle with depression and/or anxiety.
My hope is that all of us take Obama’s words to heart and find and pursue ways that add hope to our world.