There was an old hymn I learned as a child, sitting in the hard pews of that lil’ ol’ church. You may also remember the chorus crescendoing – strength for today, bright hope for tomorrow (“Great is Thy Faithfulness”).
You can be grateful for a future you can not yet see because of the belief that God is good to you. God is faithful to you. And God promises to give not only what you need, but offers the abundance of immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine.
Being grateful for what’s to come is an audacious exercise of hopeful expectancy, especially when pain and loss are close companions. It positions your heart and mind to believe the best is yet to come.
One coaching myth is that it’s about living in the future. Some shoddy coaching may be fantastical and woo-woo like that, but the behavioral science of coaching is actually about how you participate differently in the present so you naturally get different results in the future. So you believe, think, and act differently today so tomorrow is better.
If your vision needs lifting to expand your gratitude and hope for the future, give yourself a few minutes to soak in this Gospel song:
This next week, practice one of these 5 ideas to boost your own hope and gratitude:
Create A Vision Board: Imagine what else is possible. Images and words inspire hope and motivation to work towards that vision.
dream: What dreams or goals do you have? Whatever they are, they matter! Articulate and define what you want. Your dreams and goals provide a sense of purpose and direction, giving you something to look forward to and work towards. Join our Coaching Group Waitlist then sign up for the next group to help you achieve what you want.
Stay Engaged: Being aware of what’s happening in our world and your community, then engaging in social issues you care about, can provide a sense of agency and belief that you can make a difference.
Surround Yourself with HOPEFUL HUMANS: Spend time with people who support you. Listen to voices who are hopeful for the future.
MOVE YOUR BODY: Exercise not only promotes physical wholeness, but it’ll give you a sense of accomplishment and provide a mental break, allowing you to clear your mind and focus on positive thoughts and goals for your future.
Gratitude for the future not only grounds you in what’s here now, but it elevates the joy within you. I could use more of that and I bet you could too. Gratitude for what’s possible and what’s to come gives us strength beyond what we could imagine.