Hope

Saturday, April 25th, 2020

The one thing I can never do is give up hope. Hope. It's such a small word that holds so much power. Its simple yet means so much to anyone going through a difficult time. It can mean the difference between hanging on and giving up. It can mean a tiny smile in the face of a devastating diagnosis. It's one word with no true definition, hope can mean anything you want it too. Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include "expect with confidence" and "to cherish a desire with anticipation".

Hope, it has a large importance in my life. Without hope I don't think it is possible to survive in this world. We are living life because we have hope, and trust in the process that life is. It's a journey, we dont know what the next chapter, let alone the next day holds. Think about it - we set alarms in the hope that we will wake up tomorrow, tomorrow isn't promised but we are hopeful that we will wake up to start the new day. Think about how many times you've got to work to earn money, that money fulfills the needs and wishes in your life - but really its the hope that those things that fulfill you would make you happy. Hope ... its that strong thing that actually gives us a reason to do something. It acts like a stimulant for us to keep going, it motivates us.

That first time we failed at something, we didn't throw in the towel and give up, we reevaluated that ya, it wasn't part of the plan but there was hope to do better the next time, to try harder. Hope is the first thing that comes into play when we start something. The hope we hold that we will finish something, we will be successful, the hope that things work out. The biggest hope in this world comes from realizing problems are only temporary and they are not permanent. Nothing can be that bad, it might feel like it is in the now, but it will get better. There is good out there that helps put things into perspective. I am a firm believer that without hope I couldn't survive, hold hope as an important part of your life.

Of all of the thoughts and notions a person can have, hope is probably closet to trust. When you have hope, you are placing your trust in the potential for something positive to happen. You are trusting that taking the right actions will make a positive outcome more likely than taking the wrong actions. When you hope for a better future, or outcome - you are placing trust in yourself to make good choices in life. When you trust someone you hope that they will act in a way that embodies that trust. Think about it, when you jump out of an airplane, you hope you land safely, and you trust in the parachute. The very act of carrying on and living your life is, by itself, a display of hope. It is the trust you have that when you go to bed at night , you will wake up to a new day of possibility.

Someone once told me I shouldn't hold on to hope, because holding on to hope to them was a negative thing. I couldn't disagree more, it just made me stay even more hopeful. Hope is a healer, it allows up to see the good, the potential in the situation. Hope shows us how to act, it shows peoples true colors, some of us are ready to throw in the towel early, others are willing to find an easy way out because it is easier for them. They don't have to navigate uncharted and unfamiliar territory, but that isn't helping they grow. It is what scares you that makes stronger. What I learned is, all the things that scared me made me into a better person, it pushed me to grow. For some people they aren't ready for that growth, they aren't ready to accept that there is better out there and for some of them it is right in front of them.

Hope is a motivator, but most importantly hope encourages self belief. I have learned so much about myself just by having hope. I hoped I could do something and I really focused on doing it for myself. But besides that, if I didn't have hope, especially the hope that things get better I dont think I would be were I am. I have a tattoo in my moms hand writing on my arm that says "resilience" and it is my reminder not to lose hope in myself. There was a time where I was in a low place, I lived abroad, and things weren't going right, I contemplated jumping off a bridge, I even thought about falling in front of a train - but than I realized that solves nothing. Everything is temporary even when it feels permanent, so I got help, and I held on to the hope that things could only get better.

Hope combats negative thoughts, I've had my share of bad luck ... and when I got diagnosed with cancer, I lost it. I wanted to know why me, why was I being punished ... especially because I felt like I just kept getting knocked down with so many obstacles and huddles. But, God doesn't give us anything we can't handle - the burden maybe heavy at times but with him the yolk is light. The negative thoughts came after surgery I had a scare on my throat, it isn't something I'll get used to ... the worst part is I've never been on a first date since where the guy didn't point it out, or ask about it. I don't mind talking about it but maybe not on the first date, maybe don't point at it ... and sure as well to the one guy who did, please don't ask to touch it. Hope got me through that one day it won't be such a big deal to me.

Hope brings inner peace, and to me hope is contagious.The day someone told me not to have "false hope" was the day I was more hopeful for them. It is contagious and if I am hopeful I would hope that it would rub off on them and they would start being hopeful in their life. Hope is one of those things to bring peace. It is a comfort and resonates with a lot of people. For those who don't have hope in themself, or they don't have faith in growth moving forward - I pray for you. I pray for anyone out there struggling, who feel alone. I pray they find peace, and are guided on to the path that their journey is taking them. Have you ever met someone that you saw struggling but they weren't ready to help themselves? What did you do in that situation? Sometimes we can't do anything, and I learned that the hard way - the only thing you can do sometimes is be there for them from afar, and to pray for them until they are ready to reach out, ask for help, and accept the love and care being offered to them. Never lose hope ... the world would be a much worse place than it is if people lost hope.