At the time of writing this, Artemis 2 is on its way back to Earth. It’s been a very exciting past couple of days, but the best thing of all is seeing how much this mission has united people. It is very hard to be hopeful when watching the news these days, but I feel like the Artemis mission has allowed us to see the good in these difficult times. Seeing the first woman travel to the moon has been incredibly motivating, especially as someone in the STEM field. There has been so much more acceptance of women in academia in the past century that you forget how groundbreaking moments like these can be and how much further we, as a society, still have to go. Christina Koch is an inspiration to me and many others, and watching the news coverage of this mission has made me see a bit of hope for the future that I lost after the 2024 presidential election.
For me, I’ve always found it a bit difficult to be hopeful. I try to be as optimistic as possible, but it’s much easier to motivate someone else compared to motivating yourself. It’s always been better for me to be realistic and face things head on, because sometimes getting your hopes up can just hurt more.
However, I’ve learned that not having any hope to begin with almost hurts more. I think part of being human is being able to face challenges with the best things in mind. If you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, then what’s the point of even trying new things?
In psychology, there is the self-fulfilling prophecy where our beliefs affect our behavior, often subconsciously, to reinforce or confirm these beliefs. I find it to be incredibly relevant in everyday life. If we have no hope, then our behavior will reflect that: we won’t be as motivated or as happy when things go right!
Therefore, here are my tips for being hopeful in hard times:
- Find something to be motivated for! If you can’t, then perhaps the path you are currently on is not your best fit, and it might be a good time to try something new! Pick up a new hobby, find a new job, change your major. Being indecisive is not the end of the world, and being unsure of your future is okay! As long as you are still optimistic and hopeful that there is a future, then, eventually, everything should work out.
- See the best in people. I have learned to be a lot more outgoing since I started college, and it’s a lot easier for me to make friends than it used to be. Part of this is because I’ve learned to see the good in people. First impressions are not everything, so keep this in mind when meeting someone new!
- See the best in yourself. Even if you see the best in people, it doesn’t necessarily always work out for you, and it’s okay to move on or stop talking to people that drag you down. Sometimes, learning to forgive yourself for decisions you’ve made is the most hopeful thing you can do.