Life is filled with ups, downs, and lots of in between moments. One of the best things we can do to help us through these is develop a strong sense of hope. In fact, we each need to strive for a higher amount of hope than despair.
In a book I’ve been reading called “The Wisdom of Morrie,” there’s a section on hope and despair. Morrie, who is known from the bestselling book “Tuesdays With Morrie,” talks about these dueling forces.
What is despair or hopelessness? He describes it as a sense that the present is bleak, that not much good is happening now or in the future, a gloominess, a surrender to darkness and depression.
On the opposite side is hope. What is hope? His definition includes faith and expectations that something desirable will happen to you, a belief that certain wishes are attainable, and an enabling strength to not accept defeat in difficult situations.
Despair says “Give up;” hope says, “Hold on.”
How can we develop hope when we find ourselves in situations that seem overwhelming, challenging, and impossible?
I love what he says about that:
“The beauty of keeping up hope as a continuing orientation lies in the fact that it is a manifestation of faith in life, in ourselves, and in other people. In the broadest sense, this implies a belief that our hope, as manifested in our persistent efforts, can move us toward self-healing, a more caring community, and a better world.”
Hope can guide us to a stronger belief in ourselves and eventually a place of self-healing.
Hold on! Have hope! You can heal!
