Hope is the fuel of joy, the spark that allows us to dream, and the energy that pushes us to pursue those dreams until they come true. The moment you lose hope, it’s terrifying. The future turns blurry. Your vision fades. Fear takes the place in your heart where hope once lived.

For a couple of years, I felt exactly that—I lost hope. I remember telling people that I no longer had a vision for my life, that I couldn’t feel passion for anything I was doing, even though my job at the time could have been considered my dream job. To make things worse, I forced “positivity” on myself, but deep down, I knew I was running on empty. My creativity dried up. My dreams slipped away, and my heart felt empty. I went from feeling too much to feeling almost nothing, except exhaustion and sadness.

That season showed me something important: you can have many good things in life, be surrounded by “good people,” and still lose hope. I had read about people in unimaginably hard circumstances, like Holocaust survivors, who, in the worst of times, still managed to hold on to hope, because they refused to believe that a better future was impossible. And yet, in my “good” life, I had lost it. I reached the point of asking myself, “What am I even fighting for?” Because, like I said before, without hope, there’s no vision.

If you’ve ever been there, you know how heavy it feels.

I also began asking myself: why are so many people hopeless today? What shocked me most is that more and more young people are living without hope, and loneliness is consuming them. Maybe, as Johannes Hartl says in his book Eden Culture, one of the core problems is that “we lack a positive utopia”—we are missing a good vision for the future.

Because I know there are many people out there who feel like this, I want to share four things that helped me find hope again. They are not quick fixes. It takes work and time, but it’s worth it.

1. Acknowledge your feelings—But don’t use your triggers as an excuse

First, acknowledge your feelings and search for your triggers. Don’t bury them under false positivity. Positive thinking helps, but positivity alone is like a painkiller: it may mask the pain for a while, but it won’t solve the problem.

Once you’ve identified your triggers, start working on them. But don’t use your triggers as an excuse.

I often hear people say: “I act this way because of what happened to me as a child” or “I’m like this because of my past,” etc.

If you already know the roots of your struggles, that’s actually a strength. It means you have a path toward healing. Use your suffering to build endurance, because endurance produces character, and character produces hope. Don’t stay trapped in the same behaviors. Awareness is the first step toward healing. It’s the key that unlocks your cage—so don’t stay inside when the door is already open.

2. Talk about your feelings—Choose your trust circle wisely

Talk about what you’re going through, but not with everyone. Choose a maximum of three people you deeply trust who can walk with you through the process. These should be people who will stay with you through the lows.

Why is this important? Because overwhelming emotions can dominate you. Speaking them out loud breaks the cycle of victimhood and gives you fresh perspective. Your trusted circle can remind you the truth when you can’t see it yourself. And because they know you, they can also lovingly correct and redirect you if needed. Sometimes, correction is exactly what helps us find the way out of the cage. Remember: the cage is already open, and you hold the key.

The Bible says: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)

If needed, seek professional help. We live in a time when self-diagnosis is common, but it often makes things worse. Even AI can give you advice, but it can’t replace a trained professional who can guide you with wisdom.

3. Take responsibility for your situation

Don’t settle into a victim mindset—choose to be an overcomer. Stop blaming God, the universe, or other people for your circumstances, even if people caused your pain. Learn from the process. Take ownership and stop looking for excuses. Extend grace to yourself, but don’t fall into self-pity.

Our culture often places too much emphasis on emotions. They matter, yes, but they should not control your life. Emotions are like indicators: they reveal and warn, but they are not meant to steer the wheel. You still have your mind and, hopefully, wisdom to guide you. Take baby steps, but take steps. Taking action is essential to change behaviors.

I once heard a therapist say: “Today we have access to tons of information about mental health, but we don’t apply it to our lives.” A friend of mine put it beautifully: “When I read books about mental health or personal development, it’s like taking an ibuprofen—I feel good for a while, but then I forget what I read, and my patterns stay the same.”

And that’s so true! We consume endless “good information” but don’t apply it. So maybe consume less and apply more. Take active steps toward healing. Slowly, you’ll notice strength returning. What you’re really building is steadiness in a world of constant change—and that’s called character. And character produces hope.

4. Search for an anchor

We live in stormy times. Without an anchor, we drift wherever the wind takes us and eventually lose our way again.

I found my anchor and my healing in Jesus.

I’m not always happy, and I still face low moments, some harder than others. But the difference is that I have never lost my hope again. Because now, I have a solid foundation.

In my lowest moments, I remind myself that the foundation of my life is His love. No matter how deep I fall or how high I rise, He loves me the same. And even when I can’t see or feel Him, I know He’s still by my side. And this, my friend, has been the greatest lesson from my journey through hopelessness: I may feel nothing or feel too much, but now I know—He is always there. My foundation does not change, so I will not drift. My emotions change constantly, but He does not. And because the foundation of my hope never changes, I now know that I will be okay. When a crisis arrives, I surrender, I reflect, repent where needed, and take action.

In a world of constant change, He never changes—He is my constant.

In a world where the future feels uncertain—He promised me a happy end.

Jesus has already given us a solid hope for the future. For those who believe in Him, eternity awaits. So if you feel overwhelmed, don’t lose hope. You may feel like giving up, but He never gives up on you:

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31

If you’re in a season where hope feels lost, I pray this verse over you:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13

Let Him take your broken pieces and put them back together. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is surrender at His feet. Remember: every wave passes, and so will every crisis. And when it does, you’ll gain something precious again—new hope.

Blessings,
Ana Laura