Hope Is My Strategy—And Here’s Why It Should Be Yours, Too
We’ve all heard it before: “Hope is not a strategy.”
It’s one of those phrases people throw around in boardrooms and business books, usually followed by a heavy dose of tactical advice. They’ll tell you to lean on the numbers. Stick to the blueprint. Get a guru. Buy the course. Do more, hustle harder.
And listen—I’ve done all of that. I believe in strategy. I believe in preparation and systems. I’m not knocking any of it.
But here’s what I know from personal experience:
When life gut-punches you so hard you can’t breathe…
When every door you’ve knocked on stays closed…
When the plan you carefully laid out goes up in flames…
What carries you isn’t a spreadsheet. It’s not a checklist or a CRM or some expert’s formula.
It’s hope.
That tiny flicker of belief that says:
“This isn’t the end.”
“I can still find a way.”
“There’s light somewhere ahead, even if I can’t see it right now.”
And that’s why, on this episode of Make Things Happen, I’m saying something loud and clear—maybe for the first time ever:
Hope IS my strategy.
What Happens When Hope Becomes the Foundation
Now, before the strategists start commenting, let me be clear: I’m not saying throw away the game plan. I’m saying that no strategy works if you don’t have the will to keep showing up for it.
Hope is what fuels that will.
You can hire the best coaches. Take the best training. Build a killer funnel. But if you’re facing loss, heartbreak, financial ruin, or just deep self-doubt—none of those things will matter unless you believe there’s still something worth fighting for.
You know what most people do when things get hard?
They quit.
They fold.
They tell themselves, “Maybe this wasn’t meant for me after all.”
But I’m here to remind you:
It’s not about whether the storm shows up. It’s about how you choose to ride it out.
And for me, the ride has been real.
I’ve been broke. I’ve been broken. I’ve lost things that mattered. I’ve doubted everything.
But I held onto something even when I couldn’t hold onto certainty:
I held onto hope.
The Neuroscience of Hope (Yes, It’s Real)
If you’re someone who likes facts to back up feelings, good news—hope isn’t just some fluffy emotion. It’s been studied. There’s science behind it.
Our brains have something called the reticular activating system—a built-in filter that decides what we notice and what we ignore. When we focus on fear, we see more things to be afraid of. When we focus on lack, we notice everything we don’t have.
But when we start visualizing a better outcome—even a small one—our brains begin searching for ways to make it real.
That’s why hope is powerful.
It shifts your focus.
It opens your eyes to opportunity.
It physically activates new neural pathways.
In other words, hope doesn’t just make you feel better—it helps you do better.
So, What Does This Mean for You?
I don’t know what you’re walking through right now. Maybe it’s the quiet heartbreak of feeling stuck in a job that doesn’t light you up. Maybe it’s the terrifying weight of a financial crisis, a family issue, or a diagnosis.
Whatever it is—I see you. And more than that, I want you to see you.
Not the version weighed down by shame or fear or comparison.
But the one who’s still in the game. Still breathing. Still standing.
That’s where hope lives.
It lives in the part of you that says:
“I don’t know how this is going to work out… but I know I’m not done.”
That’s the spark.
That’s the start of everything.
Let This Be Your Reminder
If you take nothing else from this episode, take this:
When the world says “hope isn’t a strategy,”
Smile.
And say, “Maybe not for you. But it’s working for me.”
Hope is what carried me through moments I didn’t think I’d survive.
Hope is what kept me going when the odds were stacked.
Hope is what let me build again—stronger, wiser, and bolder than before.
So yes, I’ll keep the strategy.
But I’ll anchor it with hope.
And I hope—truly—that you will, too.
Let’s make hope your strategy. Let’s Make Things Happen—together.
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Want to go deeper?
If you’re serious about mastering your mindset and executing at your highest level, my group coaching program is where we do the real work. Apply here: https://dianapagano.com/coaching/
📕 My book, The More Mindset, is officially available for pre-order!
➡️ Pre-order now on Amazon!
This book is more than pages bound together. It’s my story, my struggles, my faith, my lessons, and my breakthroughs. It’s everything I had to walk through—the pain, the doubts, the setbacks—that shaped me into who I am today. I wrote this book for the dreamer who’s been saying “someday.” For the achiever who looks successful on the outside but still feels like something is missing. For the person who knows, deep down, that there has to be more.
I’m so grateful to be on this journey with you!
Stay blessed,
💜 Diana
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