HOPE
This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts....
Romans 5:5 GNT
HOPE
If I could give you one thing this end-of -the-year-season, I’d give you hope. The kind of hope that does not disappoint.
I’m sure you’ve had times when you’ve been hopeful, and then got disappointed...and now you’re afraid to hope? Maybe you feel like hope is a mirage...
Let’s take an honest look at hope, and why it should be part of your New Years’ resolutions- and how to avoid “false hope.”
Hope is defined as a positive expectation for future good. We NEVER “hope” for something negative—only for something we desire, and eagerly wait for.
Unfortunately, sometimes it’s easy to mistake wishful thinking for hope. What’s the difference? I’m so glad you asked!
Wishful thinking is timidly waiting for the future to arrive, while being in denial about past experiences. Wishful thinking is specifically NOT taking proactive steps to change anything. This is so similar to the classic definition to insanity: “doing the same thing over and over, while expecting different results” that it’s easy to see why this type of “hope” is really wishful thinking.
So, hope has a “reasonableness” to it. Hope includes learning lessons from the past, and strategically changing things to better align with your desired outcomes.
Wishful thinking is:
· Making impulsive decisions
· Blaming “luck” or similar uncontrollable factors (reinforcing the idea that life is uncontrollable)
· Denial of any opportunity to learn
· Reacting to circumstances
· Just “blindly hoping” things will get better without any discipline or resolve to make changes
Hope is based on:
· Taking positive action toward building a life of purpose
· Being willing to adjust to unknowns as they make themselves known
· Strategic alignment with your God-given purpose
· Basing wise decisions on the idea that God loves you and has good things in store for you
· A growth mindset (click here for a free download about cultivating a growth mindset)
Ok, so why should you include hope as a resolution for this upcoming year?
Because of something called confirmation bias. “what you hope and wish for becomes the thing you expect”
Have you ever made a major purchase, and then suddenly you “see the exact same thing everywhere”? That is something Neuroscience calls confirmation bias. When you make a decision, your mind is naturally wired to find that thing all around you, as a safety net to help you to verify that you’ve made the correct decision.
We all use the natural confirmation bias system to help us feel better about our choices. The fun part is that we can use this process to intentionally “hack” the system to make our lives better.
HOW TO HACK YOUR OWN BRAIN BY USING CONFIRMATION BIAS:
By actively making choices, rather than reinforcing feelings of inevitability (or victim mentality), we can set up our confirmation bias to look for opportunities.
By deciding:
· I have purpose
· I can learn as I go through my life
· God is available, when I seek for wisdom, I can find answers
· I have people around me who care about me and also hope the best for me
· I can make a difference in my life if I look for opportunities and take them
By making these “hope-based” decisions, (daily, weekly, and monthly—not just a one-time thing) we position ourselves to recognize opportunities, receive wise input, and not be controlled by fear. When we have to make course corrections and disruptions come to our plans, these decisions instruct our minds to look for solutions. These decisions will get “confirmed” by our subconscious mind that will actively look for choices, find healthy people to trust, and help us to avoid disappointment.
It’s amazing to me what neuroscience is just finding out that confirms what God says about us in the Bible, from thousands of years ago:
“This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts....”
Romans 5:5 GNT
I want to encourage you to invest in yourself, in your future, and your purpose for being on this planet by cultivating a growth mindset—commonly called HOPE!