How to Build Your Hope & Love Strengths to Thrive More

How do you feel when you look ahead? Are you filled with optimism and hope, or do you find yourself weighed down by uncertainty and worry?

If you’re feeling more anxious than inspired about the future, you’re not alone—and there’s good news.

This is Key! Hope isn’t just a feeling; it’s a skill you can strengthen with practice, and there are practical steps you can take to nurture it.

In my work as a coach, I strive to kindle realistic hope in every client.

Interestingly, I find it much easier to inspire hope in others than in myself.

For me, hope sits somewhere in the middle of my character strengths — reliable in some areas of my life, but harder to access in others.

When hope feels out of reach, I often turn to my greatest strengths: love and perspective. These qualities help me find my way back to hope.

The “Hope” Strength (Which Brings Meaning)

Hope is about having positive expectations for the future and believing in your ability to make those good things happen.

It involves having the motivation and confidence to pursue goals and the ability to find and follow multiple paths to achieve those goals.

When you have hope, you’re more likely to find meaning, enjoyment, and satisfaction in your life.

Hope In Action (For Precious Positive Energy)

Many of my coaching clients come to me after a layoff or during a period of burnout, feeling discouraged and unsure about their next steps. By the end of our sessions, they often feel a renewed sense of hope and see more possibilities for their future careers.

Here are some of the ways we generate that hope together:

• We look back at times when they excelled at work to identify what made those experiences successful.
• We brainstorm career paths that would not only be stable but also enjoyable and meaningful.
• We explore their unique strengths and talk about how these can be applied to different roles.
• We discuss practical ways to connect with people in new industries they’re interested in.
• We explore new skills they can learn that will open up opportunities.
• We work on customizing their resumes to highlight their strengths for a variety of opportunities.
• We break down their goals into smaller, doable action steps, making the path forward feel less overwhelming and much more achievable.

With each step, clients begin to see that their future can be shaped in positive, exciting ways.

5 Ways to Create Hope

1. Break down the steps needed to achieve complex goals and make a visual map.
2. Celebrate small wins along the way to larger goals. Reflect on past successes to remind yourself of your strengths and resilience.
3. Surround yourself with supportive, optimistic people. Accept their encouragement and help when you are facing obstacles.
4. Prime your environment with pictures or quotes that inspire you.
5. Learn new skills or try new activities to open up fresh possibilities for the future.

The “Love” Strength (Relationship Glue)

The character strength of love refers to valuing and nurturing close relationships with others, especially those where caring and warmth are shared in both directions. It involves both giving and receiving affection and support, and is one of the strengths most strongly linked to life satisfaction.

Love in Action

When I’m struggling to feel hopeful, I lean on the important people in my life to help me get back on track. Since I strongly value relationships and actively cultivate them—Love is my #1 strength—I’m fortunate to have a circle of amazing friends and family who support me when I’m low. Sometimes, just a reminder that I’m not alone is all I need to spark hope. Other times, I need help seeing the bigger picture or finding a new path forward—that’s where my perspective comes in.

I make it a priority to schedule walks, lunch dates, and regular phone calls or texts with out-of-town friends, making sure these connections stay strong. Humor and shared laughter are a big part of these relationships, helping us all feel lighter and more hopeful together.

5 Ways to Strengthen Love

• Practice spontaneous loving acts or share your affection in words. Example: Send a funny text to a friend—like a dancing fruit or vegetable GIF every day for a week. When a friend did this for me, it showed she was thinking about me and wanted to brighten my day.
• Express your love creatively. Try writing a poem, composing a heartfelt note, or drawing a picture. For example, another friend of mine creates beautiful calligraphy notes using watercolors.
• Schedule time with people you care about. Make plans to do something fun together, whether it’s a walk, a game night, or just catching up over coffee.
• Develop a loving-kindness meditation practice. Guided meditations are available online, such as those from Greater Good in Action.
• Show genuine interest in your loved one’s passions and challenges. Ask thoughtful questions about what excites or worries them, and offer support—this builds deeper connection and trust.

This Week’s Strength Challenge

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and tell me:

How will you kindle hope and love this week?

Want to Go Deeper?

If you’re interested in a personalized strengths exploration, I’m offering a limited number of discounted strength sessions this summer. Email me at dianna@collierclan.net for details.