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The Consider It Done Newsletter
“To help you finish what you start.”
Volume 16
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Stanley E. Hibbs, Ph.D.
Psychologist
Personal Effectiveness Coach
Phone: 770-668-0350 x-224
E-mail: drhibbs@drhibbs.com
Web Site: www.drhibbs.com
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Article: “Hope!”

I thought that this would be a good time for a few words
about hope. I know that we’re all concerned. War is coming.
Terrorists could strike. People are out of work as our
economy sputters. This is certainly a time when we could be
low on hope.

The human mind is a time machine. Even though we can only
live in the present, the mind has the ability to look back to
past and forward to the future. That is both an asset and
a liability.

If our thoughts of the future focus on the bad things that could
happen, we will be worried and anxious. This serves a purpose
if it leads to productive activity. For example, concerns for
my future health motivate me to get an annual checkup,
exercise, and watch my diet. Beyond that, dwelling on future
danger only makes me miserable and wastes my precious time.

However, if we expect good things to happen in the future, we
experience hope. I choose hope over fear.

Here’s the way I figure it. Good and bad things happen. They
have always happened and they always will happen. Once I
have taken reasonable steps to protect myself from the bad things,
I might as well focus on the hopeful possibilities.

Psychological research suggests that this kind of hopeful
optimism is good for both our mental and physical health. This
is true even if the optimism is unrealistic. In other words it’s
better to err on the hopeful side than the fearful side.

I’d love to hear from my readers about how you’re calming your
fears and maintaining your hope in these challenging times. I will
be back shortly with some thoughts about a higher order of hope.
It’s called faith. Stay tuned.
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Dr. Hibbs is now accepting new clients for personal, business, and
executive coaching. As a subscriber to this newsletter, you
can receive a free 30-minute consultation to see if coaching
is right for you.

Contact Dr. Hibbs:
drhibbs@drhibbs.com
770-668-0350 x-224

For information about Dr. Hibbs’ clinical services go to:
www.dunwoodypsychologists.com
 

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