Ash Greig's 10 Steps to Keeping Hope Alive

Hope is about the most difficult thing to find and keep alive. Every day when we wake up and face the world, we face challenges. Sometimes, we handle it just fine. Sometimes, it pulls us down so much we feel that we just don't have the strength to get on our feet again and move on. No matter how tough life gets, we always know that everything will turn out just fine. There is never an ending to anything – only a continuation and new beginnings.

I've had my share low moments in life – losing loved ones, less-than-impressive test results, painful goodbyes to friends, bad days at work and even embarrassing slip-and-falls in public. No matter how horrible I felt, I always knew that there was a rainbow at the end of the day, that one day I will be able to look back and be glad that I went through it all because it made me the strong person  I am today.

Here it is, my very own 10 steps to Keeping Hope Alive.

Step 1: Be positive. The thing about hope is that it only lives within a positive mind, a positive environment. The day you stop being positive will be the day hope dies. :)

Step 2: Learn to trust. People might have hurt you deeply in the past, but that doesn't mean you stop believing in goodness. There are angels around us to help us through all our ups and downs – you just need to know who they are and thank your lucky stars for having them in your life. :)

Step 3: Help the ones who need you most. Not everyone is lucky to have a bowl of rice on their table each day or know what love is. Donate to an orphanage or spend a day making new friends at the old folks' home. You give them one day of happiness; you get a lifetime's worth of joy. :)

Step 4: Dream big. Most of us are afraid to think of something that we may never have, but it is the one thing that keeps our hope alive in the bleakest moments in life. :)

Step 5: Take one small step at a time. Don't rush into anything, and don't expect miracles to happen overnight. If you're trying to have a baby, don't try for two weeks and give up when the pregnancy test kit points to negative each day. Things will happen when it's meant to happen. :)

Step 6: Stay strong no matter what life throws at you. You lost a loved one, it will hurt. You will cry, you will be upset, but you will come out of it. Remember the good times, reminisce the memories shared, and you will find yourself smiling again. :)

Step 7: Ask yourself what matters most to you. It's not always about money or popularity; it's the values that you hold true to yourself, values that are important to you and make you happy. :)

Step 8: Remember that every wrong will turn out right. We all make mistakes, but it's not the end of the world. Deep inside we know things will one day be okay. :)

Step 9: Give hugs to the ones you care about. We all need to be reminded that we are not alone in this world and nothing says more than a warm hug from someone we love. :)

Step 10: Know that there are always new beginnings. Every one of us goes through some sort of pain at some point in our lives. It's how we learn to accept it and move on that makes life worth living. Don't ever forget that there is always a tomorrow waiting for us. :)

~Ashley Greig~

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