A fellow therapist once said, she didn’t like hope and described hope as something intangible, something for a distance future with no real place right now. Although I was able to understand her view, I disagree. I am a realist but, believe there is always hope. Hope helps develop a promising future. Big or small, hope can be a catalyst for change, growth and motivation.
Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for an occurrence that is good. So if something good, is a wanted outcome, hope allows the opportunity to take definite steps for it to come about. With the work and effort required, hope could lead to success, a dream realized.
Hope can be a wish, a want or a desire, yet turn hope in to an ambition, aim or a plan and hope can serve us all to achieve.
In the past there has some ground breaking moments of hope shared through speeches and creating change. Hope can become a reality with the belief that something good may happen.
With a belief in freedom for humanity, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr spoke of a promise of “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Inspiring many as he stated: “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.” – His dream, was his hope and desegregation continued momentum, enforced segregation now being a thing of the past.
Closer to home and on our shores, an address by David Morrison, made back in 2013, calling on men to accept women as equals in the military. His need for a unified force being the driver and instilling hope for the women in a predominately male field.
Then, more recently, a thought provoking (and conversation making) speech by Stan Grant, delivered during an IQ2 debate in 2015, with his hope (want) that: “one day, I want to stand here and be able to say as proudly and sing as loudly as anyone else in this room, Australians all, let us rejoice”.
Now in 2016, Australian of the Year, David Morrison delivered an acceptance speech sharing his hope (desire) for diversity of gender, sexuality and race; gender equality including closing the pay gap and his hope for change in republican movement, an Australian head of state: “so that we can stand both free and fully independent amongst the community of nations”.
Hope can be Inspirational, thought provoking and Leading to Change. There is value in hope; How many time has someone been happy when they have lost all hope? Rarely! And what is the expression that some has when telling you about a hoped for outcome coming to fruition? A smile, a twinkle in the eye maybe…
Finding some hoped for outcome, or a light at the end of the tunnel, can help give you purpose. Hope can lift low spirits. Although hope may not suddenly take you out of the depths of depression, if you start with a little and then it builds and starts to manifest, you are less likely to remain in lowered state all of the time.
“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same”…. “I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope” – (Nelson Mandela) – to that I have to agree!!
Remember don’t stop at hope, do something with it… 🙂