Hope. An uncommon feeling among many contemporary humans, especially Americans. Do you have hope? If not read the following and see if you can find some from what I have learned.
I am not hopeful every day but I learned from a young age that any day can be your last when I almost died from a brain tumor at the age of 12. The first reason I have hope is that I know any day could be my last day. It frees me to live in a way that is about the future but also about the present. It is great to have goals but you forget to appreciate the small things like the rain or the sunrise/sunset or even just a cup of coffee or a breath of fresh air.
Thankfulness
Being thankful for the small things naturally gives you hope for the long term and in your daily life. Thankfulness is key to hope, despair pushes us to criticize and look down on the bad parts of ourselves and our lives but thankfulness silences the self-hate and the anger and brings forth hope.
Hope is a choice, it isn’t easy but when made and when thought about it builds more hope in one’s life. Hope is exponential in nature and will either multiply on itself or divide down into oblivion depending on how you choose to look at your life.
Rejoicing and Laughing
Rejoicing and laughing are great ways to generate hope in your life. Rejoicing in your and others’ success and choosing joy will allow you the be happier and that happiness will produce hope. It will also bring forth hope, happiness, and joy in others which will produce more hope in their lives and reflect back onto you as well.
Purpose is a great way to have hope, by purpose I do not mean a career but rather understanding your place in the world and who is in charge. Your purpose is to love God and love others as if they were yourself. It positions you below the all-powerful and sets you on an equal playing field with others.
Greater Purpose
The Third thing that brings me hope (arguably the most important) is my relationship with God. The sense of awe when I hear God speak to me and when I humble myself before him allows me to know my place in the world and give up control. A relationship with God will bring you hope and purpose that allows you to use the hope in your life to pursue making yourself better as well as making change for good in the world.