228: This is ‘Hope in Action’

Hope isn’t something that happens to you. It’s something you create. It’s what happens when possibility meets action.

Today we’re beginning a journey—one that will explore not just what hope is, but how we build it, nurture it and put it into action.

Let me start with a question that’s been rattling around in my brain lately: What exactly is hope? Is it optimism? Wishful thinking? Or is it something more concrete—something we can actually … create?

When I posed that question to you recently in our weekly email, the Do Good Digest, here’s how some of you responded:

“I believe hope is the anticipation of good things that are yet to come, and I reflect on this mostly as a military spouse, always getting excited about the next duty station, even if it was an unknown, and doing the research to find out what awesome things were laying ahead in that space, and just looking forward to what God had for us there in ministry or in otherwise in blood. nothing. I think that that’s where I feel the most hope is knowing that there are good things coming and being excited about it.”

“Hope is finding the silver lining in every situation, especially up here in Washington, finding the sunshine on every cloudy day. That is hope when someone can focus on the positive and not always the negative.”  

“Hope is like a hug to the heart when all other lights go out.”

It’s a question we’re going to dig deep into over the next several weeks. If you’re not already on the list, head to caringmagazine.org/subscribe and add your name so you don’t miss a thing.

We’ll be exploring different dimensions of hope—how psychologists define it, how communities cultivate it, how Scripture explains it, how individuals sustain it even in dark times. But today, I want to start with this idea: Hope isn’t just something that happens to you. It’s something you build, choice by choice, action by action.

This season is called “Hope in Action” because we know that’s where hope becomes real—when we move it from feeling to doing, from possibility to practice.

Hope without action is just a wish. But hope with action? That’s how change begins.

Hope as a practice

Think about hope like building a muscle. You don’t wake up one day suddenly strong. You build strength through small, repeated actions. Hope works the same way.

Every time you choose to act—even in the smallest way—you’re strengthening your hope muscle. And even better: your hope becomes contagious. When others see you acting on hope, it gives them permission to hope too.

Like Stacy, who heard a woman crying while waiting in line for food assistance in Puyallup, Washington, and immediately delivered a big hug.

Like Lavonna, who helped 93-year-old Kathleen navigate protecting her information after falling victim to online fraud.

Like J’azmin, who saved 22 people from overdoses with Narcan in just one year.

Like Maria, who oversees quality child care for some 70 children, relieving a huge stress for parents in an area where many workers earn minimum wage—or lower.

I could go on and on with the many people highlighted in our recent issue of Caring Magazine, themed “Hope in Action,” which you can find at caringmagazine.org/hope.

None of these people waited until they felt hopeful. They acted their way into hope. And their actions created hope for others.

So how do we build hope? How do we move from feeling stuck to taking action?

I think hope grows when we:

• Notice the needs around us (awareness builds connection)
• Choose one small action we can take (choice builds agency)
• Act on that choice (action builds momentum)
• Reflect on the impact (reflection builds meaning)
• Repeat the cycle (repetition builds resilience)

Your hope-building journey

This season, we’re going on a hope-building journey together. Each episode will explore a different aspect of hope—what it is, how it works, how we cultivate it, and most importantly, how we put it into action.

You’ll hear from:

• Researchers who study hope and resilience
• Community leaders who foster collective hope
• Everyday people who’ve built hope in extraordinary circumstances
• Spiritual voices exploring faith and hope
• Practical experts sharing tools and techniques

And here’s the interactive part: Along the way, we’ll share hope-building practices. Each one something specific you can do to strengthen your own hope while making a difference for others.

So here’s your first hope-building practice. This week, become a hope detective.

Notice moments when you feel a spark of hope. What triggered it? Was it someone’s kindness? A small victory? A beautiful moment? Start a list or a photo album, or both, and document it when you see them.

The goal is to start noticing how hope works in your life.

Here’s the key: Hope isn’t just something lucky people have. It’s something all of us can build. And the best part is “hope in action” isn’t about doing something big. It’s about doing something.

Because our world is transformed not by great deeds, but by countless individual decisions to step forward.

You’re not just a spectator in this story. You’re a potential catalyst.

Different is possible. And it starts with you. 

Next week, we’ll hear from someone who has dedicated his career to researching hope, why it’s one of the strongest predictors of well-being and how hope can be both taught and strengthened.  Until then, remember: There’s a you-sized need for goodness in the world.  

To learn more about Hope in Action and find your own pathway to making a difference, visit caringmagazine.org/hope.

Thank you for choosing hope—and for being ready to put it into action.

Additional resources:

• If you are one of the hopefuls, get on the list for the Do Good Digest, our free 3-minute weekly email newsletter used by more than 20,000 hopefuls like you for a quick pick-me-up in a busy day.  
• If you are enjoying this show and want to support it, leave a rating and review wherever you listen to help new listeners hit play for the first time with more confidence.  
• If you want to help The Salvation Army serve more than 27 million Americans in need each year, give today. Your gift of money, goods or time helps The Salvation Army do good all year in your community.  

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