I like a day to have a purpose, however modest. There might be plants to tend, a house to get ready for visitors, or work waiting for me. Knowing what I intend to do gives me something to look towards. This is part of what I mean when I connect hope with work.
Begin with what is possible
We can make a beginning so elaborate that we keep putting it off. Wanting to move becomes a plan to join a gym, when a walk near home is possible. Enjoying ourselves becomes something to save for an occasion, when we could put on music and dance at home. I like beginnings that are within reach. They let us do something we want to do with the day we actually have.
That is also why I value a little time at the start of the morning: to thank God for what I have and decide what deserves my attention. It may be work, a visit, or something small that needs doing. An intention becomes useful when I can see how to act on it.
We have something to give
Giving belongs in this picture too. Money is often the first thing that comes to mind, yet we also have time, attention, and warmth to offer. We can stop to listen when someone is having a difficult day. What we can give will vary; it is worth looking for it among the things already available to us.
Our own example matters when we encourage someone else. If I speak about love, it should be apparent in how I treat people. If I encourage effort, I have work to keep doing myself. People can judge an idea more clearly when they can see the person speaking about it trying to live by it.
Leave room for enjoyment
There is room for enjoyment in all this doing. I love celebrations and the chance to give ourselves or someone we love a little pleasure. A rose on the table is a small thing, but somebody thought of placing it there. Somebody wanted to make another person happy.
A day holds responsibilities as well as people and things we enjoy. I want to give both their due: follow through on what I have taken on, and make an occasion for pleasure where I can. That is the hope I find in action, in having a part to play in my own day.