Do Hope - A Book By Gail Muller
Hope is often spoken of as something fragile, fleeting – a whisper in the dark. But I know it can be much more than that. I believe we can ‘do’ hope - not just feel it, or wait for it to appear - but act on it, live it, and carry it with us, even when the world feels like it’s falling apart.
‘Do Hope: Why You Should Never Give Up’ is one of two books I’ve written based on my own life story and experiences, but it’s not just a book about hope – it’s a story of survival, transformation, and the power that lives within each of us to be the very best possible version of ourselves.
At the same time, it’s also an invitation. If you’ve ever felt like giving up, I want to take your hand through these pages and show you that ‘hope’ is not a passive daydream or ‘something that happens to you’. It’s a practice. A lifeline. A choice.
Why Hope Matters in the Real World
Hope isn’t fluffy and it’s not naïve, it’s fierce. It shows up in the small, unseen moments – when you get out of bed even though it’s the last thing you feel like doing, or when you fail and try again, and then again after another failed attempt at something.
I’ve had to choose hope throughout chronic pain, career changes, and the many low-points of life that we can all cross paths with occasionally. Time and again, I chose hope in those difficult moments. That hope has carried me through some of my darkest days, and I know it can carry you too.
Can You ‘Do’ Hope?
So what is hope, really? Is it something we feel? Or something we choose?
Research by a team at Arizona State University suggests that hope is a powerful cocktail of feelings and behaviour. It’s not wishful thinking – optimistic thinking and attitudes are part of it, but the point where ‘hope’ deviates from sheer wishfulness is in the recognition that in order for things to go the way you want them to, you have to take some sort of action.
‘Hope’ therefore includes elements covering both ‘what you want’ and ‘what you do to get it’ - and that’s why I reason that you don’t just ‘have’ hope, you ‘do’ hope.
Essentially, ‘hope’ is the ability to imagine a better future, believe you can get there, and then successfully move through that journey. If you’re wishing, you might say ‘I wish things were different’. If you’re hoping, you might say ‘I wish things were different, and here’s what I’m going to do to try and change them.’
The steps that we’ve mentioned above are also things that can be covered in my coaching sessions, and likewise during my speaking engagements I often refer to different experiences that I’ve had during my life (good and bad), and the lessons i’ve learned from them. So if you attend a speaking engagement or opt for coaching, the books may have additional helpful information and advice that can help you on that journey - and likewise, if you first encountered me through my books, and you're looking for more of that same kind of support, coaching or attending a speaking engagement are options to explore!
The ‘Three Musketeers’ of Inner Strength
When I was writing the book, I kept circling back to three qualities that helped me through life’s toughest challenges: Resilience, Perseverance, and Self-Worth. I came to call them the Three Musketeers.
Resilience is your ability to bend without breaking. It’s not about being tough; it’s about bouncing back, even when you’re scared, tired, or sore.
Perseverance is sticking with it – not because it’s easy, but because something deep inside you knows it matters that you do so. Perseverance may be ‘hope’ by another name - the quality that lets you see even though you may have failed this time, that’s not guaranteed to happen every time. Next time may be different, but only if you try again.
Self-Worth is the quiet confidence that - even when you’re broken, even when you fail - you are enough. This is a vital quality to keep as it helps you see failure for the learning experience that it is, rather than a sign that you are ‘unworthy’ or ‘less than’ in some way. Learn that lesson, and you can come back stronger next time.
These three qualities helped me ‘do hope’ when nothing else could.
What Else Can Do Hope Teach You?
What happens when hope disappears? I’ve been there – emotionally, mentally, physically wrung out - and I know how terrifying that space can be.
In the book, I share practical ways to light the fire again – not through toxic positivity, but through honesty, self-compassion, and simple tools. If you’re looking for a book about hope that meets you where you are, this is it.
The Last Word: Why You Should Never Give Up
If there’s one piece of advice that I want you to walk away from this blog with, it’s this: NEVER give up on yourself. Not when it’s hard. Not when it hurts. Times like those are when you might most want to, but they’re also the times when it’s most important to hang on to things like self-love and self-belief, and to do hope.
And lastly, while I wrote Do Hope based on my own life experiences, it isn’t just my story – it could be yours too, or that of anyone who’s ever been knocked down and found the strength to rise again. Individual names and places may change, but the story remains the same - that you are capable of more than you know, even when it feels impossible.
So let this be your sign. Your gentle nudge. Your rally cry.
Wherever you are right now, however you feel – do hope.
Buy a copy of ‘Do Hope: Why You Should Never Give Up’ now on Amazon