“Hope” is a virtue that can be a good foundation to propel us forward. In fact, I think it is essential for living life in a “broken” world. Yes, the world is broken. Humans are fallible. And because of this, bad things happen to good people. Evil does not discriminate. We can try to avoid it, but it will eventually find us. Money won’t protect you. Success won’t protect you. Beauty won’t protect you. Relationships won’t protect you. No one is immune.
If you haven’t been touched by the sword of the evil I am referring to, you have missed out on a beautiful part of life. Yes, you read that right. Experiencing hardship is a beautiful and essential part of the human experience. As a self-proclaimed control freak, I cringe even as I write that last sentence. Without a doubt, I spend more time than I care to admit thinking about how to stay as far away from the edge of the cliff as possible. And of course, this is to no avail. But as usual, I digress….
I have long believed that “hope” is how some people are able to endure any storm. But “hope” can be a tricky word to hang your hat on. That’s because hope can be a noun or a verb.
Hope as a noun is not sufficient. In other words, I can have the desire for a better future, but without action it’s meaningless. Then there is hope as a verb. And this is the gemstone hidden in the dumpster of rocks called “motivational social media accounts”. In which, I admit, I might incidentally occasionally partake. So humbly I will steal a page from Maya…. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better”.
So, with that said, here is my redemption attempt at redefining hope so that it can be the fuel that will propel you into a better version of your current situation.
But first, you must know that hope is a choice. And deciding to believe that a better future is possible requires the courage to embrace potential future disappointment. And this is where I believe the great divide occurs between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Those who accomplish the seemingly “impossible” and those who don’t.
But choosing hope is not sufficient. We must act in a manner that is congruent with the decision we have made to believe that our future WILL be better. And thus, we encounter another fork in the road. There is a flat paved road and a rough path with a steady grade. Also known as work. Without work, hope is meaningless.
So, what does work in the light of hope look like?
It means you establish a plan, and you stick to the plan whether or not you see immediate results.
It means you look for the reasons to keep going and ignore the reasons to stop.
It means you take complete ownership of the things you can control and resist the urge to control the things you can’t.
It means a persistent daily search for all the 1% advantages that are presented to you.
And most importantly for those of us who might tend to hyperfocus on the problem……..
Take every thought captive and align it with the eager expectation that your future will be better.