Dare to Hope
Right now, it can be hard to be hopeful. There is the pandemic. There is death. There is the isolation. There are financial troubles. There are people blatantly showing the worse side of society. There is the danger that lies within an unpredictable future looming. I feel the heaviness in my heart. Even if I don’t feel it thriving in me right now, I am still hopeful. Hope isn’t what people typically think it is. It’s not passively waiting for things to maybe happen. It is envisioning a better future, or better outcome of current circumstances, and doing what we can to make it happen. It’s not just a word, hope is a powerful force to be reckoned with.
It’s a force that lives inside our minds, souls, and hearts. It fuels movements, motivates people to do what they need to do to get to where they want to be. During tough times like these, we hold onto hope to get us through. Without it, all is already lost.
If you didn’t already know, hope can be given. You can give it to others, and others can give it to you. You can give it to your family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances who need it. You can give it directly with words of encouragement or acts of loving kindness. You can also give hope indirectly by the example you set. With my daily socially/physically distant interactions with my family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, students, and anyone else I encounter, I try to give a little bit of hope. Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort. Either way, it’s necessary.
If hope can be given, it can also be taken. People can take it from you by being selfish, ignorant, or a mix of both. They can suck the hope out directly from your soul with what they say or what they do. With them, it ’s okay to set healthy boundaries and hope that eventually, they’ll come around.
As I sit here writing this, I’m challenging myself to calm myself and release any negativity in me. I’m daring myself to live with hope. In a time that is more unusual than it usually is, being hopeful is a courageous way to live life.
Roderick Conwi is the Executive Editor at Nourishment Notes. He is also the author of The Procrastinator's Quick Guide To Getting It Done. To get powerful insights that enhance your day, join his free newsletter.
