Here’s the reality. We live in a cruel, ruthless world that constantly judges us. We are a part of a society that keeps pushing us down, hurts us in the worst ways possible and disappoints us every single day.
Yet, somehow, we still find the strength to get up in the morning and keep moving on regardless of how difficult it is. We fall, but instead of suffering in the gutter, we choose to get up, dust ourselves off and continue our journey. We suck it up and give our best to make things better. We give second chances because we believe that we deserve good things in life. We work hard because we believe that there is a bigger purpose to our life than just surviving.
Why do you think that is?
It’s simple. Hope is the only light in the midst of darkness.
In a world full of stress, pain, wars, sadness, disappointments, fears, developing a negative perspective of life becomes a natural response. We simply cannot help it. There is always more pain and more sorrow than one can really take in, more fear than comfort and more uncertainty than confidence.
The only options we have are letting those circumstances bring us down (or in other words, losing all hope which usually derives from having ginormous, ridiculous expectations) or embracing the good in life and find comfort in the fact that there is always hope.
So, we turn to hope.
Hope is a story that our minds need to hear to make it worth getting up in the morning. Something needs to matter to us, because without having those values to motivate us, life would be pointless, and we would have no reason to go on living.
The truth is, hope is the most powerful ingredient we all need in order to live.
Hope is our drive. Hope is to us what water is to fishes. Hope is the fuel that powers our mental engine. It is the soft, smooth mouth-watering butter that we put on our warm toast in the morning. If we don’t believe that there is something better our there for us and that the future has bigger things in store for us, than eventually, we will fade away, both mentally and emotionally.
People often think that hopeful individuals are naïve and foolish for dwelling on such thoughts. But the reality is different. Life has proven many times that being hopeful and optimistic in a society that is doing its best to destroy our dreams and robs us of our hopes is actually an act of rebellion.
Do you know what those people don’t get?
They don’t understand that the opposite of happiness is not sorrow or anger. Holding anger or dealing with sadness means that there are emotions in you. It means that there is still some part of you that is alive and willing to fight. It means that something still matters. That you have hope and you believe that you can make things right again.
The opposite of joy and happiness is a state of hopelessness. It is the silent and desperate realization that nothing in life really matters. That nothing we ever considered important is actually that important at all. Hopelessness is a cold, dark cave without an exit. It is a sense of desperation and melancholy.
None of us would ever make it in this world without hope. Without that soft, comforting voice inside of us that gives us the will and strength to fight, shows us the way and convinces us that we have a bigger purpose in life.
Without those sweet, hope narratives that we like to tell ourselves and without those dreams that give us a sense of importance.
So, please, promise me this… Whatever you do in life, don’t let anyone rob you of your hopes. Stick to that light, protect its source and work hard to sustain it. For a life marked by hope is a life marked by optimism.
