There's a general sentiment within society that the end is near.

Climate change.
Market dominance by mega-corps.
Degradation of democracy.

For some, life is a bingo card of potential pitfalls and problems that will bring humanity crashing down.

The future will be what we make it and we need more hope to make it right.

The problem with having a bleak outlook on the future is that humans tend to act as we think.

I'm not blind to the fact that the concerns that people have for the future are real and present. Climate change is a serious issue to be dealt with. Corporate greed and the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few hurts all of us. We need well-functioning governments to prosper.

All of these things are true. But it doesn't mean that the future is going to be bad.

It's easier to attract bees with honey than with vinegar.

If you worked with a fitness trainer would you want them to encourage you on your progress or remind you how far you still have to go?

Recognizing progress and celebrating small wins builds momentum and keeps people engaged in doing hard things. If we're constantly reminded of how we're failing or what we should've done 10 years ago to avoid the current situation we'll lose interest and give up.

We need to inject more hope into our conversations about the future.

Reframing our conversations about the future is a small step we can take in the right direction.

When you find yourself in a conversation about the state of the environment, economy or government look for a way that you can bring an element of hope to the discussion. If we can shift the outlook to one of hope that sees a better future then it will become easier to imagine what that future will look like.

We will inherit the future that we make for ourselves. I'm hopeful that it will be a wonderful one.