Why Do We Need Hope?

13 min readMay 23, 2022

Why Do We Need Hope? How to find Hope after you’ve become Hopeless…

Feeling Hopeless

We all do things that we’re passionate about and other things that we’re less passionate about but we do them because we have to, so what happens when we inevitably fail? How do you find the strength to get back on your feet and take-on another day? When you fall into feelings of hopelessness, it can feel like there is very little anyone can do to help ease the crushing sadness that has fallen upon you, so what do you do?

When you experience loss of any sort, you can start to feel a sense of Hopelessness, so how do you respond to such strong overbearing emotions? Loss can come from rejection, failure, divorce, death, or change. You can also experience loss of intangible things like a job, belief, or other important aspects of your identity that you hold dear to your heart.

In our darkest hours and deepest despair, Hope seems to be the only glimmer of light that gives us the strength to carry-on! To have Hope is to want an outcome that makes your life better in some way, where it allows you to make it thought tough situations to eventually improve you life. Somehow, envisioning a better tomorrow motivates you to take the steps necessary to nudge yourself to make it happen.

Hope seems like an infinite resource of fuel that we could simply tap into whenever we’re down and need the extra boost, but reality is very different than wishful thinking. What happens when you seem to sink in a bottomless pit of darkness, where do you find Hope? What happens when you’re looking for something that would give you Hope, but can’t seem to find it anywhere you look?

In fact, Hope is one of life’s elusive & invisible forces that keeps us going by giving us something to believe in to nudge our flywheel of life in the direction we desire. Hope is a crucial part of dealing with life’s problems and maintaining resilience in the face of obstacles, so what happens when Hope is nowhere to be found?

When we begin to lose Hope, things could get quite bleak! When we run into constant resistance and are prevented from reaching our perceived goals, we can start to feel like there is nothing to live for and our lives are pointless. That’s a horrible feeling to experience because if we can’t get to where we want to be and don’t feel in control of our lives, what’s the point of it all?

If you are feeling apathetic and are tired of running the treadmill of life, you may be starting to lose Hope! When you loose the one thing that seems to give you the strength to carry-on, how do you find Hope? One of the worst feelings in the world is to stop believing that something that you want to happen so bad might NOT happen!

Finding Hope in your Imagination!

In order to open-up new and fulfilling possibilities in your life after you’ve hit rock bottom, you may need to nurture Hope back into your life. What better way to regain what you’ve lost than using your imagination to find inspiration, where possibilities are endless! When you tap into your endless resource of imagination, you might be able to start seeing things differently.

Hope can be a desire for something to happen, a wish for things to change for the better, or a particular dream or aspiration to come true. It’s important for us to have Hope in our lives, and what better symbol for Hope to seek inspiration from than The Man of Steel himself: Superman!

As a young child, watching the first two Superman movies starring Christopher Reeves used to, and still does, send chills down my spine when I saw Superman soar through the buildings of Metropolis and into outer-space!

Christopher Reeves once said: “So many of our dreams seem impossible, they seem improbable, and then; when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable!” This quote stuck with me because Christopher Reeves made Superman sound very real to me in the sense that he gave me Hope that no matter how bad my situation was or how impossible my circumstances were, there is still Hope!

To me and many others, Superman is a beacon of Hope! To many people, Superman is an unrelatable character because of his supernatural powers and super strength, so if that’s the case, then why is he still around & well recognized across the globe even amongst those who don’t read comic books? Surely the charm of the character would have worn-off after at least 10, 30, or even 60-years, but that’s not the case with Superman! The reason Superman is known as “The Man of Tomorrow” is because of the Hope that is found within him that resonates across different cultures.

Ironically, our fascination with Superman and our ability to find him to be a relatable character isn’t so much because of Superman himself, rather, it’s because of his alter ego Clark Kent, who represents all the human attributes of the character in the best way possible!

In comic books & movies, we saw Clark Kent trying to get a job that fulfills the promise he made to his deceased father to help take care of his mother. Clark was unsure of the path he wanted to take, so he calls his mother periodically seeking her guidance, which highlights his dependence on his family and truly illustrates the influence of his human parents on him. In fact, as powerful as Superman may be, Clark Kent is full of doubt!

Superman embodies noble principles of Hope because he believes in people even when they stop believing in themselves by inspiring them to be better versions of themselves, which gives them Hope! How can an alien from another world lightyears away have more humanity than some humans? How can an alien help us find something that is so fundamental to our humanity?

The world always seems to be in constant conflict between people fighting with one another. Paranoia and Fear permeates the globe and runs rampant leading to an abundance of hatred, racism, and hopelessness. Many people lose faith in their neighbors, in their community, and in the people around them. What can a farm boy from Smallville teach us about cultivating a sense of Hope & belief in other people and in ourselves?

Clark Kent learned from a very young age that people are fundamentally good and anybody can be saved from evil, which sounds a little corny and unrealistic, but remember; we’re in our imagination and anything is possible! Superman has the strength to end all wars across the globe in a matter of hours, but that might do more harm than good because people might end-up fearing him due to his seemingly unbound strength.

Superman considers the social and political ramifications of his actions, so he relies on trying to influence change instead of enforcing it like the dictators he’s trying to neutralize! Earth is where Superman was raised, and he wants to remain on good terms with its citizens.

One cannot help but read the name Superman aloud and not feel “Super!” Wanting to be better, make a difference in other’s lives, see the good in people no matter how evil they may seem, and to do it for nothing more than knowing that it’s the right thing to do. That’s Hope at its finest!

Superman knows that when you have great powers, it becomes your duty to use it to the best of your abilities to help others! Superman uses his powers constantly to help people, and at the same time, his alter ego Clark Kent changes the world through his written words just like I’m attempting to do by writing this article.

One of the great things about Superman is that no matter how big the challenge may be; whether it’s fighting Darkseid or General Zod, he still finds time to help someone in need. Superman is able to juggle his tasks to help the world around him and spare any life that he can help because he knows that it’s worth it! Superman knows wholeheartedly that these actions inspire greater nobility in others through reciprocity.

Finding Hope in your Life…

What’s ironically interesting about Superman is that he embodies the things most noble about humanity and he’s not even human. Superman believes that people can be better than they choose to be, they just lack the guidance to navigate through the barrage of things they need to juggle in their lives. Superman will continue to exist as long as Hope exists and will continue to exist after Hope has faded away.

“No matter where you go in life there’s always going to be the one person that wants to bring you down, so stay strong and face your problems instead of running away.” ~ Superman

Every time Superman puts-on the cape, it is Clark Kent (the human side of Superman) who is guided by the lessons he learned on the farm in Smallville. Superman may have caught Lois Lane’s eye with his superhuman strength and bright tights, but it was Clark Kent who ultimately won her heart!

Hope is the positive emotion that we feel when we envision a brighter future and often helps us through tough times! Although it may be accompanied by fear or sadness, Hope pushes us to take steps towards creating a better tomorrow through sustaining optimism, resilience, and grit.

Sometimes we need help to see things in a different way even if it comes from someone who’s imaginary. Sometimes we need to change parts of our lives, whatever it may be, and it’s OK to tap into our imagination for help. There is support out there in many forms that could help you find the strength that is buried within you to believe that Hope is a possibility and it can happen to you, which can help you change the way you live.

Here are eight (8) questions for you to ponder upon to help you know where you stand on Hope:

What does hope mean to you?
When was the last time you felt hopeless and how did it make you feel?
When you feel hopeless, what are the actions that immediately follow?
How do you usually regain Hope after you’ve lost it?
Who or what usually gives you Hope to carry-on?
What is something that makes you feel hopeful right now?
How can you cultivate moments of Hope in your life?
In what ways can you remain hopeful even when it’s hard?

The very definition of Hope can differ depending on the person because when people speak about Hope in a spiritual context, it might mean believing that good things will happen to good people with faith in a higher power. They might project their Hopes outward in the form of prayer, but what would happen when good people’s prayers go unanswered? How would that impact their feeling of Hope or hopelessness? What does it mean when good people are Hopeful, but nothing seems to happen? That might be a discussion for another article!

Others might think of Hope as always looking on the bright side of things and seeing challenges as learning opportunities for growth. Regardless of your definition of Hope, in general, it means a desire for things to change for the better and wanting that better situation very much to happen to you and those around you whom you love.

To me personally, I always plan for the worst & Hope for the best, and this approach has never failed me as I always manage to protect myself and those around me using this Defensive Pessimistic approach to life!

From Hopelessness to Hopefulness!

Hope helps structure your life in anticipation of a better future and influences how you feel in the present by pushing you to take action. Hope is associated with many positive outcomes; including greater happiness, better academic & professional achievements, and even lowered risk of death. Hope creates a positive mood shift in your expectations, your goals, and the anticipation of a brighter future.

Hope is very specific and focused; usually on just one issue, and that’s what differentiates it from optimism. Most people associate Hope with dire situations & desperate measures. People Hope to get out of difficult circumstances, and that’s when they often tap into trying to find Hope!

Surprisingly, Hope can also provide the key to making everyday life better and not just during calamities. That’s because just envisioning something hopeful gives you a moment of happiness that is enough to get you off your feet.

In a way, having Hope links your Past & Present to the Future! You have a vision for what you Hope will happen; whether it happens or not is a different story, just envisioning it can make you feel better & motivates you to do good things. If it’s something that you can somewhat control, then Hope can motivate you to take whatever steps necessary to make the world around you a better place.

To have Hope is to want an outcome that makes your life better in some way. Whether you think about it or not, Hope is a part of your life. Everyone Hopes for something because it’s an inherent part of being human. Hope is the belief that our future can be better than our past, and that we have a role to play in making that future a reality!

This positive outlook on the future is grounded in five (5) simple elements: Purpose, Goals, Faith in your Skills & Capabilities, Grit, and the Willpower to carry-on! Hope helps you define what you want in your future and it’s part of that narrative about your life that we all have running through our minds.