The great thing about him is that Dave Ramsey also teaches action. All the hope in the world is not any good if there is not some action backing it up. Planning, preparing and doing are all components of hope.

Yesterday there were a few of us discussing the state of society and how so many of us are dependent on the government. Think about it – could YOU last for a month with out electricity? You rely on the government to get that electricity to your home.

The conversation reminded me of a man that decided to stay in his home along the coast of Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina came ashore. When rescue workers FINALLY found him his house was surrounded by ten feet of debris. He and his dog were on the back deck. He told the workers to go on and find those that really needed help and that he was fine. This man had no electricity, no running water and no cell phone service but he felt he was fine.

Steps to Lead from Hope to Having

1. Create a back up plan. It is impossible to know what tomorrow holds but if you know what you will do no matter what tomorrow holds then circumstances will not be able to steal your hope.

2. Do it yourself. Learning to do things on your own is a great way to explore new hobbies, save a little money and build the ability to do things on you own IF you are ever in the position to have to do them yourself.

3. Reduce dependency. The fewer things you require from others then the easier it will be for you if those others remove their support. You will also reduce the amount of control that others have on your life.

Hope is not a mysterious feeling. It comes from knowing that no matter what the circumstances thrown at you or your family you will be able to survive and even thrive.