‘Hope’ is defined in many ways; the acronym ‘Hold-On-Pain-Ends’, sometimes it’s compared to seeing stars in the darkest nights, or however many times the sun sets; it will always rise. Christopher Reeve has been quoted, “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.”
Hope is uplifting. Hope can be the illuminated path in our darkest times showing there is a way to things getting better. Hope is the start of something greater and has the power to shift perspectives away from things that are negative and create the drive to work hard for the things that are good.
Hope is the basis of so many great stories - the heart of so many struggles - both fictional and in our own history. Hope is the fuel that can lift you off the ground, pull you through the dark cloud layer and remind you about the bright blue sky above the fog on your face. Hope can bring people together, regardless of background or creed; hope builds unity towards a common goal, a common good.
Hope is not always easy, and it can be scary. I know in my own journey there were times when the mind struggles to move beyond the negative, and it can be easy to see ‘hope’ as another chance for failure or disappointment. But this is where we need to be forgiving; you would not judge a close friend if they didn’t make it on their first try or if the route they took didn’t work out the way it was supposed to. So give this same lenience to hope, to your hope.
There will be twists and turns and setbacks (and things you could never have predicted). However, something I’ve strangely come to learn is that hope is not a finite resource; which may sound silly but it was a genuine surprise to me when I realised, so perhaps there are others who will be equally relieved to learn. Having the bravery to hope can so often be the first step to helping yourself get to a different place; yes change can be scary in its unpredictability, but hope doesn’t have to leave you at the next venture. With each step you take, hope can be there for the next one; hope will be there for you to use, whenever you desire it, for the entire journey.
Hope, above all, is the idea that things can be better, that things WILL get better. To hope is to put your foot down and realise you are willing to try for that better outcome, that better setting, that better world. If not for yourself, then for those that came before you, that will come after you and those alongside you today.
Hope can also be infectious; I certainly have many names I could list who inspired me to hope. Perhaps this is why we all place so much value upon its voices, no matter how loud or how quiet.
Dare to hope, you might just help someone else dare to as well.
-Robert
Voices of Hope wants you to know that you do not have to do this alone. Click here to ‘find help’ - it’s not weak to speak!