Over on Make A Way Media we’ve been working all year long on highlighting the need for hope.

Both collectively and individually we need more hope. 

We need hoping skills!

Hope is not something you either have or don’t have.
Hope is something you can build, moment by moment—action by action.
Think of it just like charging a battery. Or even like lighting a candle.

The time to charge your hope is not when you have lost all hope.
Here are 100 thoughtful and meaningful ways to recharge your hope proactively.

1–15: Quick Mood Shifters

1. Step outside and feel the sun on your face—just for 60 seconds.
2. Play a song that makes you dance without thinking.
3. Light a candle and whisper something kind to yourself.
4. Make your bed like it’s a gift to your future self.
5. Drink a glass of water with intention. Hydration is hope.
6. Open a window. Let the world in.
7. Smile at a stranger and mean it.
8. Watch a funny video—yes, even that one you’ve seen 100 times.
9. Change your socks. Trust me.
10. Spray your favorite scent in the air for no reason at all.
11. Send a “thinking of you” text to someone who makes your heart feel warm.
12. Do one thing you’ve been putting off. Just one.
13. Breathe in for four counts. Hold for four. Exhale for four. Repeat.
14. Say this out loud: “I am still here. I am still becoming.”
15. Turn off your phone for 15 minutes and just be.

16–30: Get Creative

1. Doodle like you used to in school—no purpose, just play.
2. Write a poem that makes no sense except to your soul.
3. Try a new recipe and plate it like you’re on a cooking show.
4. Make a “vision board” for the life you want—even if it’s digital.
5. Take one photo a day of something beautiful or strange.
6. Color. Yes, even with crayons.
7. Create a playlist called “Hope Rising.”
8. Write a letter to the version of you from five years ago.
9. Dance in your kitchen like nobody’s watching. (They’re not. And if they are, invite them!)
10. Press flowers in a book and come back to them in a week.
11. Start a journal just for dreams—sleep dreams or life dreams.
12. Write your own affirmations and hang them on your mirror.
13. Learn how to say “hope” in three different languages.
14. Paint something abstract. Let the colors speak for you.
15. Record a voice note to your future self full of love and encouragement.

31–45: Simple Acts of Kindness (for Others and Yourself)

1. Compliment someone without expecting anything in return.
2. Drop off a surprise treat to a friend or neighbor.
3. Write a review for a small business you love.
4. Leave a sticky note with encouragement in a public place.
5. Pay for someone’s coffee or toll if you can.
6. Forgive yourself for something old. Say it out loud. Let it go.
7. Let someone merge in traffic with a smile instead of frustration.
8. Offer help to someone—no matter how small the task.
9. Tell someone how they’ve impacted your life. Be specific.
10. Make a donation to a cause that lifts you. Even $5 counts.
11. Rest without guilt. You deserve peace.
12. Apologize with grace—and accept one with grace, too.
13. Choose not to argue online today. Protect your peace.
14. Do something kind for your future self—like prep a meal or organize your bag.
15. Say “no” to something that drains you, and “yes” to something that restores you.

46–60: Spiritual & Soulful Feel Good Practices

1. Light a candle and pray, meditate, or simply sit in silence.
2. Read a verse, quote, or passage that stirs something in you.
3. Journal about what you’re learning—not just what you’re going through.
4. Walk barefoot on the grass or earth. Feel yourself reconnect.
5. Make an area for your safe hopeful space, even if it’s just a corner of your room.
6. Hum or sing a spiritual song that centers you.
7. Look at the stars. Feel how vast and ancient they are—and how you’re part of it all.
8. Write a thank you list for what’s already good.
9. Breathe deeply and picture yourself filling with light on the inhale, releasing fear on the exhale.
10. Talk to your ancestors. Ask them to walk with you today. Feel them walking with you.
11. Read a psalm, mantra, or affirmation aloud.
12. Let yourself cry if you need to. Then remind yourself it’s sacred, not weak.
13. Take a silent walk. Listen only to your breath and the rhythm of your steps.
14. Place your hand on your heart and say, “I am safe. I am loved. I am guided.”
15. Start or end your day with intentional gratitude.

61–75: Connection & Community

1. Call someone you miss—no texting, just your voice.
2. Host a casual gathering. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be sacred.
3. Join a group that shares your passion or purpose.
4. Volunteer your time, energy, or wisdom.
5. Ask someone about the best part of their week. Really listen.
6. Start a group message where friends share one hopeful thing each day.
7. Find a mentor—or become one.
8. Support another woman’s dream. Cheer loudly.
9. Write a postcard or send happy mail “just because.”
10. Let someone know they made a difference today.
11. Share a meal. Nourishment is more powerful when shared.
12. Laugh with someone until your belly aches.
13. Say someone’s name with love. Especially if they’re gone.
14. Invite someone into your space, even if it’s imperfect.
15. Tell the truth about how you’re doing. Connection starts with honesty.

76–85: Nature & Movement

1. Watch the clouds move—like sky poetry unfolding in real time.
2. Sit by a tree. Let it teach you something about stillness.
3. Stretch your arms overhead and feel the power in your body.
4. Watch birds or squirrels or bugs go about their lives. It will humble and ground you.
5. Walk a new path today, even if it’s just around the block.
6. Feel the wind on your skin and thank it for moving you forward.
7. Garden—even one potted plant is a conversation with the earth.
8. Do ten jumping jacks and yell, “I’m still here!”
9. Take your shoes off. Touch the grass, the floor, the earth. Remember you are held.
10. Dance under the moon, even if it’s just for one song.

86–95: Joy from the Past

1. Re-read an old journal and celebrate how far you’ve come.
2. Look through old photos and find one where you were glowing. Frame it.
3. Call someone from childhood and reminisce about something silly.
4. Wear something you used to love—bold lipstick, cozy hoodie, sparkly earrings.
5. Watch a cartoon, movie, or show that comforted you once. Let it comfort you again.
6. Make your favorite childhood snack or meal. Savor it slowly.
7. Revisit a dream you once had. Ask yourself if you’re ready to try again.
8. Write a thank you letter to a teacher or mentor—even if you don’t send it.
9. Listen to a song that defined a season of your life. Let the memory rise.
10. Hug a stuffed animal. Or a human. Or yourself. All valid.

96–100: Vision for the Future

1. List five things you’re looking forward to—big or small.
2. Imagine your most hopeful future. Speak it into the mirror.
3. Set one intention for tomorrow that makes you feel powerful.
4. Make a list of “things I haven’t tried yet but might change everything.”
5. Say this out loud:
   “I am hope. I am healing. I am still becoming. And I’m not done yet.”

Some Things to Keep in Mind

You don’t have to do all 100.
Also, you don’t have to do any of these in order.

Just keep the list close so you can randomly do one thing here and there to keep your hope meter on full.
Remember… you just have to keep choosing one small thing. One spark. One step.

Every act of hope is a seed.
Plant enough of them, and one day—
you’ll look up and realize you’ve grown a garden.

You are the garden.
You are the gardener.

Hope belongs to you.
And hope is yours to grow.