Why Hope is the Best Strategy

In our united push for human sustainability, hope helps us channel action into meaningful change.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

It’s been a busy month for me, filled with collaborative work, dedicated people, and most of all, hope.

In early September, I was in Orlando to attend and speak at the Out & Equal Workplace Summit, where executives and thought leaders and thousands of people came together with the goal of achieving LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality in the workplace, worldwide. Summit attendees shared best practices, brainstormed ideas, and celebrated recent wins. This mission not only aligns with my personal beliefs, but also with my professional mission to promote human sustainability—because only when individuals feel equal and included can they truly thrive at work and in their lives. I had the great honor to share the stage with two AMAZING humans, who are changing the world, and definitely changed me—Deena Fidas, Managing Director and Chief Program and Partnerships Officer at Out & Equal and Chris Mosier, a trailblazing transgender athlete and thought leader on LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports.

Next, I headed to New York City for Climate Week. I don’t need to tell you the climate crisis directly impacts human sustainability, but it’s worth repeating: a shifting, unstable, and unsustainable climate jeopardizes people’s accessibility to adequate food, shelter, water, and health services. Deloitte hosted a variety of events aimed at inspiring corporate, government, and other leaders to adopt a nature-positive future, so that communities and organizations can prosper. I had the opportunity to discuss a topic that is near and dear to my heart—food! Alongside my brilliant Deloitte colleagues James Carlo Cascone, Sheba Ehteshami, and Jay Bhatt, we discussed the future of food and how we can advance the well-being of people and the planet by the way we grow, distribute, and consume it. I also got to meet so many people across different communities, industries, and walks of life, each of whom brought their passion and expertise to help solve the climate crisis that’s affecting all of us, including my fellow One Green Thing board members, Max Finberg and Nora LaTorre.

Both of these events were so energizing (and exhausting for an introvert like me 😊). They were also inspiring, abuzz with collaboration and positivity and hope for just how much we can accomplish when we come together to solve a problem. And there are problems, make no mistake. For all the strides made toward LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality and efforts to reverse existing climate damage and halt future harm, there is still so much more work to be done. These challenges can feel overwhelming, but that’s where hope comes into play: Rather than give up, those of us who gathered (and countless others who champion these issues in their everyday lives) use the power of hope to fuel change and action

Hope is huge—it’s not just optimism, it’s the visualization of a future state. When you hope for change, you can “see” exactly what you want, and that helps create a roadmap to get there. Instead of optimistically thinking, “maybe things will get better” and vaguely waiting for change, hope prompts you to take meaningful action toward that outcome.

The idea of hope as a powerful tool for change has real science behind it. Psychologist C.R. Snyder’s Hope Theory found that hope is a human survival method that helps us thrive. Hope has three components: goals (this is what we want!), pathway thinking (we can find ways to reach these goals!), and agency thinking (we’re motivated to get this done!). Where there is hope, there is possibility. And that pushes us forward.

Hope can drive each of us to reach the goals we set for ourselves. But when we come together in groups—as we did at the Out & Equal Workplace Summit and NYC Climate Week—that hope becomes amplified, with many voices raised for the same goals, and many brains working on paths to those goals, with the reflected belief that we can achieve what we set out to do. Being part of that forward momentum is amazing, and a reminder to me that human sustainability is possible because we share the powerful, undeniable hope that the world can become an even better place for all of us – but also that it’s going to take all of us.

After this whirlwind of inspiring and hopeful events, there was one thing left for me to do: REST! If we want to make real change in the world we also need to recognize and honor our need for rest and recovery.

📘 What I’m reading: One of my all-time favorite novelists and storytellers is Ann Patchett! So when she released her latest novel, Tom Lake, it went straight to the top of my reading list! I love the way her stories take a deep dive into the complexity and beauty of relationships and humanity.

🍫 What I’m eating: Chocolate is truly joyful! But what goes into creating it and getting it into consumers’ hands can be less so. That’s why when I have a hankering for chocolate (which I often do) I reach for Tony’s Chocolonely big bars! Their exploitation free chocolate, and mission to make it the norm in the chocolate industry, makes this treat all the more delicious! While all the flavors are yum, my favorite is the almond sea salt!

🍿 What I’m watching: It’s an oldie but a goodie! Hope Floats is the quintessential 90’s feel-good drama/romance with one of my all-time favorite movie quotes: “Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most. You need to remember that when you find yourself at the beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up.”

🎧 What I’m listening to: You know what topic came up a lot during climate week? Loneliness! So I’ve been listening to the recent Rich Roll podcast with U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Dr. Vivek Murthy on the compound effects of loneliness on our health as individuals and as a society, and what we can all do to create more connection and community.