Hope has always been a non-negotiable for me. No matter how many days of darkness entered my world, I held tight, and invariably, hope pulled me out.

In many ways, I created Love-Led Leadership® in an effort to offer hope to others. It is rooted in the belief that no matter how unsettled or life-altering things become, better days are ahead. And even the smallest thing we can do to contribute to a better world is hope in action.

Message of Hope

I was recently reading a meditation from the Center for Action and Contemplation, and in this particular piece, musician Jon Batiste shared his thoughts on hope:

“We [can] lose hope when we don’t believe or see evidence of a positive outcome anymore, but the deepest hope is this inner knowing that the brightest light can come from the darkest moments. You find that hope … by first questioning, ‘What are the things that I’m hoping for? Who are they for? Who is in control of hope? What is my hope rooted in? What is my belief about the ultimate outcome?’ Hope is spiritual. It’s the language of the invisible realm, which is just as real, if not more real, than the things we can see and touch. Hope is the deep inner knowing that comes from building that [foundation]. That’s why I like to say that hope is like a contact sport. You work on it. You get better at it. My house could be flooded, and the roof could be on fire, and still, there’s a sense of hope I can have. I’m going to stay in that boat.”

I love his reminder that hope takes work.

You don’t just decide to be hopeful and wake up the next day filled with hope. There are days when hope is really hard. But hope is what gets us over the potholes and onto the brand-new blacktop.

Batiste also talks about how easy it is to lose hope when we stop seeing evidence of a positive outcome. I think that’s especially true when we invite constant doom and gloom around us in.

Change Always Comes

Given the world we live in right now, it can be hard to see the light at the end of what sometimes feels like an unending tunnel.

But much of my hope comes from looking back.

Change always comes.

There have been other difficult times. Other periods when people wondered how things could possibly get better. And somehow, things shifted. Progress happened.

So, I remain hopeful that good change will come. I’m hopeful that despite the days that seem to offer nothing but bad news, good news will come too.

But I also don’t think hope means sitting around waiting for things to change.

This is where Love-Led Leadership® comes in for me.

Its pillars are self-awareness, compassion, empathy, service and gratitude. When I’m intentional about practicing them in my day-to-day life, hope becomes easier to find.

When I’m mentally exhausted and recognize that I need to step away and go for a walk, hope shines.

When I’m struggling with something of my own but reach out to someone else who is struggling and offer to help, hope shines.

And when I’m struggling to find the good in another person, I ask for a new lens through which to see them.

Hope shines.

Maybe that’s what hope in action looks like.

Recognizing that even when we cannot control what is happening around us, we can still choose how we show up within it.

Sometimes, that’s all hope needs.

Here’s to leading with love,

Nicki