H-O-P-E

Hope... four little letters that randomly sorted around mean nothing. Put together properly, it can mean everything.

Hope

A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen

A want for something to happen or be the case.

But where do you find it when pain emanates from your body, when you can’t leave your bed, or when there is no cure in sight? Where do you find hope then?

Thankfully there is an abundance of sources of hope. (Whew!). I like to think the list is endless so my thought process here is to name the few that I most often hear from my friends and where I find my hope. “Hopefully” you will find many of the sources resonate with you – or possibly even become a new source for you!

For many, it’s grounded in a deep spiritual foundation. It embraces them heart and soul and brings a peace that goes deeper than the pain. This is a source that I have always admired – a faith so deep that no matter the challenge, it remains unwavering.

Many also find hope from those around them. The sources of hope that can be found within others can vary greatly. Sometimes hearing expressions of hope from others about our situation can instill hope within us; our trust in them is just that strong. If they believe, it feels as if we too can, and should, believe. It can also come their reactions to our situation or how they support us. If they are calm, positive but realistic, and support our dreams and ambitions it can inspire us, reassure us that we are on the right track and that there’s a reason to hope.

Hope can also be found simply through observing how those around us live their life. Whether it’s the tough choices they make or the challenges we watch them overcome - it all can be so inspiring. Watching their successes, whether it’s a small win or achieving the seemingly impossible - these are the things that can fill a heart with hope and our spirit with the fight it needs to carry on. If they can do it, so can we!

Hope can also be also be derived from within ourselves. For some of us, for whatever reason, we just seem to innately to have hope about just about everything. We have hope of the unknown, hope of what becomes known, and what can be. Looking from the outside in, many may feel we are hopelessly hopeful. And maybe we are. While hope can at times lead to disappointment, like much in life, if you decide to take the leap, you do risk feeling disappointed on occasion. For me, I prefer to take the leap and live a bit more in hope, even though I know it may come with disappointments here and there.

Others seem to learn how to find hope through their various life experiences. Whether through unfortunate tragedies they have endured or alternately a big accomplishment, they learn how to find and keep hope within their heart and soul. They find a way to leverage the power of it when they need it and use it to support them through their challenges.

Hope.. that is the great thing about it. There are so many sources of it. In addition to the above, many find hope within the lively spirits and carefree nature of their young children or the success, wisdom and support of their grown children. Other find their pets to be a source of hope and happiness. Many also find facts and science to be sources of hope. What works for one, may not for another. In thinking through all this, I think what it all means is that there is an abundance of hope out there. So, if you aren’t feeling much right now, keep looking! It may be just around the corner. And if you’ve got it nailed, it never hurts to keep looking then too. The more, the better.

Feeling Hopeless At Times

Hope admittedly is a bit of a tricky thing. There is no neutrality with hope. You are either moving forward in hope or feeling despair. There is no shame in feeling despair at times though. Sometimes life dishes out some pretty heavy stuff. To say otherwise I think would be ignoring the reality of life. As I’ve shared in a previous blog article, fully experiencing all emotions is actually good for us. Each emotion tells us something, guide us, protects us, teaches us, etc. The key is simply to let any despair we feel be fleeting – taking from it what we can and trying to move on to more positive emotions and thoughts when we are ready.

Hope is one such place to move on to. With it comes new joys, moments of gratitude, and the belief in more and better things ahead for us. Hope will take us to places unknown and makes the seemingly impossible possible.

I want to say let’s just all choose hope but that’s a bit simplistic. First one must find hope if they don’t already have it. So, I will end this blog with saying that my hope is that this article at least facilitates the process for those seeking hope or more hope and reminds us all of the value and power of hope.

What is the Source of Your Hope?

I’ve barely touched the tip of the iceberg with the various ways in which hope can be found. I would love to hear where others find their hope so we can all benefit from your insights.

Why? Because we all deserve to live a life of hope and all that comes with it.