Without it, where would we be?
Definition of "Hope" according to http://www.brainyquote.com/words/ho/hope174246.html
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A sloping plain between mountain ridges.
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A small bay; an inlet; a haven.
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A desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable;
an expectation of something which is thought to be desirable; confidence; pleasing expectancy.
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One who, or that which, gives hope, furnishes ground of expectation, or promises desired good.
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That which is hoped for; an object of hope.
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To entertain or indulge hope; to cherish a desire of good, or of something welcome,
with expectation of obtaining it or belief that it is obtainable; to expect; -- usually followed by for.
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To place confidence; to trust with confident expectation of good; -- usually followed by in.
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To desire with expectation or with belief in the possibility or prospect of obtaining;
to look forward to as a thing desirable, with the expectation of obtaining it; to cherish hopes of.
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To expect; to fear.
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Hope like faith, is something that most people have. It is an expectation, a dream, a wish, a hope. Some people don't believe in having hope, they look at it as being too idealistic, a simplistic way to be that is eternally negative. But for most people, having that little bit of hope in their lives, gives them a lot of inspiration to live for.
Hope for me is to be optimistic, to believe, to strive for something. It is what I need at times to kick me in the butt and get me moving towards goals I've set for myself. If at anytime that I become too complacent, or too frustrated, and there are times when I do, I have to remember what it is that I am trying to do, what it is that I am hoping for, and mostly not to ever give up! That's what keeps me going even when all the chips are down.
There are those times however, when being hopeful (generally speaking) can lead to problems. Some people put their hopes on things, people, or achievements, that are somehow unrealistic. What does this do? It makes you unhappy and all you will end up doing is looking at that 'thing' that you want but you can't have. And no matter how hard you try, you cannot obtain or attain that which you hoped for.
If you continue to be frustrated, and being frustrated will continually make you unhappy, you will end up being depressed or living a very miserable life. You have to find some way to get out of that negative rut, that part of your life that you can't seem to shake, to move away from because you are truly, and royally stuck!
What do you do? Do you continue to let the bad things happen, some things that you have no control over? Do you continue to just lie there and be screwed by what is going on in your life, whining and complaining and never getting anywhere? It just depends on how you look at it! And this is where your faith and your trust in God, (or whatever deity you believe in) , where your hope comes in!
You see, many of us experience a little set back now and again, (sometimes once too many!) and we have to be prepared to either bounce back, or just lie there and continued to be fucked (to put it crassly) by whatever is dragging us down!
What do you do or better yet, what would you do?
I always try to get to the root of what is causing my problems. But before I do that, I allow myself to wallow in my self pity. I whine to God. I complain, I curse! I get it out of my system! I get to cleaning, every crevice and surface in my home, or I workout, and I get the frustration out of my system! (I used to eat comfort food and believe me I couldn't keep that up, so maybe once in a while I might indulge in something, just not a whole plateful!)
Then I look at my situation and I try to see my way through it or around it. I dissect it and If I can't do it by myself, I get someone who can help me, whether that be another person's point of view, their shared experience or just belly aching and chewing their ear until I can see an answer to the situation myself.
Most of the time that works for me! The one thing I always do though, I pray. I can do all things through Christ who comforts me. That is the one thing I never forget. I can do it as long as I continue to have hope, and faith, and I believe in me.
Then I look at my goals or plans again, and I make it one that I can reach without the growing pains!