5 Things to Remain Positive About When All Hope is Gone

Note: This is a guest post by Glen Allsopp of PluginID.

I noticed recently that Henrik had advertised he was looking for guest posters so I decided to contact him to see if the offer was still open.

He told me it was so I began writing the article you are reading right now. The reason I tell you this is that I’m all about living positively, living a life we have designed and one that is full of happiness.

However, positivity is never something I’ve wrote about, it’s not something that crosses my mind, it just tends to come naturally.

With that in mind, I decided to do a little twist on the theme of this blog and look at remaining positive even when it looks like there is no hope and things aren’t going to get better.

5 Things to Remain Positive About

So, what are the 5 things that you should always remain positive about, especially through your low points? Let’s find out shall we…

1. Your Health.

I love the saying ‘If there’s nothing wrong with your health, you don’t have a problem’, I’m not saying I fully believe in it (I don’t believe in problems, only situations) but it definitely makes sense.

When we are born, there’s only one thing all of us having in common, we are going to die.

While that may be a grim statement, you certainly shouldn’t look at things like that. Your health is one of the most vital assets you have, in fact it’s the most vital asset you have.

No matter what car you drive or how much money you have in your bank, they are completely meaningless compared to the importance of being healthy and strong.

When everything seems down, just remember that you are alive and healthy and you have the rest of your life in front of you.

There’s no greater achievement than the gift of life.

2. There’s Always Tomorrow.

You’ve probably heard this a million times but the point from this statement is just as true as ever.

Have you ever been stressing about something a lot, maybe through impatience, and woke up the next day and found that you don’t really care about that ‘problem’ anymore?

I know I have.

There’s always tomorrow is not just a wishful thinking mindset, it’s a fact. Tomorrow will be here just like today was here, so no matter how bad things are going or how bad your day seems, tomorrow will be here when you wake up and give you hundreds of more opportunities.

That isn’t to say you should put things off and always be waiting for tomorrow, this is about realising you still have the time to turn things around and improve your situation.

3. Your Potential.

There are some people in this world who are billionaires. There are some people in this world that discovered gravity, invented electricity and even someone who came up with the internet.

You know what the difference is between you and all these amazing people?

Absolutely nothing, you’re both human.

Some people never live up to their full potential, mostly because they believe that success and fame or happiness and clarity are left for people who are more fortunate than them.

Do you think Tim Berners-Lee woke up and decided to create the internet?

No way. But I’m sure he had an idea of what he wanted to achieve and went out there to start doing it.

You have the potential to be anyone and do anything you want, our time on this planet gives us amazing chances and opportunities, don’t waste it because you feel like you have no hope.

You have as good a chance to change the world as anybody, you just have to realise it.

People made millions, people saved lives, you are a person, you can do the same.

4. Things Could be Worse.

Things could be worse, they could always be worse, at least in 99.9% of situations we find ourselves in.

I recently told the story of a prostitute who was kicked out on the street by a man who had sex with her and didn’t pay. This was while being watched by lots of people with their heads hanging out of office windows to see what was going on.

Imagine being in that situation.

No matter what problems you think you have right now, they could be worse. If you are struggling to pay your next bill, at least you are living in a home while doing it or have a family who are willing to support you.

If you’ve just divorced your wife, it’s not like all other women on the planet have disappeared, you can still get out there and find another girl for you.

Life is abundant, don’t take your current situation as the worst it could be, because more often than not, things could be a whole level worse than you can imagine.

5. You’ll Come Out Stronger.

I love challenges, I really do.

I love knowing I’m scared of doing something but that I can conquer it.

For example I recently did a bungee jump, I was very nervous before jumping from an 80ft bridge but I loved knowing I was nervous, I loved having the opportunity to overcome the fear.

‘Hard times make you stronger’ or variations of that phrase are probably something you’ve heard 100 times before, that’s because it’s true. Think of any hard time in your life whether it’s:

  • Losing your job
  • Going through a divorce
  • Getting beaten up / mugged / burgled (I’ve had all 3)
  • Being financially unstable

If you’ve been through any of these and came out on the other side then you will know that they’ve probably made you stronger as a person and helped you with other aspects of your life.

Be thankful for the challenges you have right now, because on the other end is a new you with a lot more strength than the old one.

Glen Allsopp writes on the subject of Personal Development over at PluginID. You can help him help you by subscribing to his feed, here.

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About the Author

Henrik Edberg is the creator of the Positivity Blog and has written weekly articles here since 2006. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Gothenburg and has been featured on Lifehacker, HuffPost and Paulo Coelho’s blog. Click here to learn more…

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Great to see your work on the positivity blog Glen.

    A little ninja trick I use when I’m down is to focus in the moment right NOW by asking myself:

    Do I have any problem in this moment?

    And, I never have. If you think about, the problem may happend 2 years, a week, a day or 1 hour ago and the only thing keeping you negative is your focus in your mind.

    You can change your negative focus instantly by changing your focus to the moment right now or REFRAME the situation if it’s a lasting experience, but that’s another ninja trick I won’t get into now.

    The point is that it don’t have to wait for tomorrow (like you also mention Glen).

    Have a great day.

    Over and Out :-)

  • Positivity is definitely a choice. It’s the difference between life and death, literally. Studies have shown that people who choose to see the brighter side of things no matter what live happier, longer lives — even when the situation is exactly the same for positive-minded and negative-minded people.

    Here’s a helpful post I wrote about how to stop thinking negatively and start thinking positively: “10 Harmful Thoughts” at http://shanelyang.com/2008/06/18/10-harmful-thoughts/

  • Diannw

    I’m tired of hearing how I should be happy because things could get worse. They have gotten worse. I lost my job and I haven’t been able to find another. My mother is dying, and my uncle is going on Medicare because he has been sucked dry of money by the rehabilitation centers. My brother’s health is declining and my sanity is hanging by a thread. Things could get worse? Yeah, I guess they probably will. But I’m not seeing that as a reason to do a happy dance. Hope is a poison, and I’m tired of getting told to be happy about it because the sun will come up tomorrow. Some days, I really wish it wouldn’t.

  • Framing experiences as positive is a personal choice. Not easy, but a choice.

    Diannw: You are in a very bad life experience right now and it is difficult to see anything positive in it. Some days, it is just as bad as it is going to get. At some point, this will be over and things will be different. I try to be present like Nicolai. In the present moment, everything that overwhelms us doesn’t have to be dealt with right now. Some of it can be dealt with later when it is time to do so. Please don’t let hope be a poison to you – it sometimes is all we have. Please write to me from my blog link here if you want someone to talk to. I had a hopeless time some years ago and understand.

  • Great article Glenn, I was so hoping I could comment one of my favorite sayings, “It could be worse” but I see you included that one already. Great tips!

  • Hey Glen,

    When there is tomorrow, things doesn’t seem that bad anymore. Whatever troubles we have, we still got tomorrow to handle it. So why worry? By channeling our energy into what we can do today, we are doing the best at the present and tomorrow will definitely be a better day.

    Cheers
    Vincent
    Personal Development Blogger

  • I wholeheartedly agree with #1 and #3. If you have your health and your potential, anything is possible.

    I just found your blog and love it! Am officially a subscriber.

    Cheers,
    Leigh

  • It is SO important to be positive and to look on the bright side of things. Gratitude is one of the most important qualities you can cultivate, since only from a place of gratitude, peace and happiness can you manifest what you truly desire in life.

  • Absolutely fantastic stuff…I will refer to this stuff frequently as a pick me up!

  • This is a great article, and exactly how I like to live my life. Thanks for sharing.

  • These are excellent tips, and definitely does the job when things are not going as planned. I think the most significant is about thinking about health, it is something that is often overlooked and taken for granted.

  • That’s a good observation about problems mysteriously losing their significance at certain times of day, or seeming worse some days and not others. What it illustrates is how the way we feel about our lives has to do with where we put our attention, as opposed to how objectively “bad” our problems supposedly are. Best, Chris

  • What great advice! I agree with all 5. Thanks for sharing this.

    -Meaghan

  • verena

    Well, actually, I am not healthy and it is not a temporary thing, which kinda makes everything else obsolete. I know I am smart and have great potential, but guess what, I will never be able to reach it fully because my health fucks it up. My health also fucks up my financial situation, so I will certainly not be stronger, neither physically or anything else. Things could be worse? Indeed. But do I need to always orient myself negatively?

    I am all for living positively, because I have a great family, fantastic friends, and I live in a place that I love. But I have given up hope for things never to come, such as good health, being financially stable, and realising my potential. I don’t hope anymore, but make the best out of everyday there is to come, because there is not always tomorrow.

  • I truly really agree with anything related to positivity. It’s not easy to be positive but it’s too easy to think negative.

    I would like to thank you for writing such an inspiring post. It really encourages me to stay positive or at least quickly switch to positive when the negativity comes and attacks me.

    I just posted something related to your above topic in my blog. Hope you will find time to drop by and leave some words on it.

    Good luck! and cheers!