There are a number of different definitions for hope.

One Wikipedia definition says:

Hope is described as the desire of something together with the expectation of obtaining it.

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary states:

to cherish a desire with anticipation.

Also in Wikipedia is this:

Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life. Hope implies a certain amount of despair, wanting, wishing, suffering or perseverance - i.e. believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary.

To people with a mental illness/psychiatric diagnosis, the last definition is a cornerstone in the recovery journey or process, a knowing that tomorrow can be a better day.

When asked, Michigan Peer Support Specialists stated things they also thought important to include:

Dream, believe, joy, love, resiliency and a faith in our own abilities, we have the strength necessary inside us to believe that a better tomorrow can happen.

Thinking more positively with more and more hope is an important first step in moving forward in a recovery journey. When people struggle with being able to be hopeful it is easier to stay stuck in a rut. After people start thinking more and more positively taking action is a natural first step.

After one takes a first step (either a tiny first step or a larger first step), the next step becomes a little easier. Hope builds with each small success.