“There never was a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.”
– Bernard Williams
There may be no human characteristic which has proven to be so remarkably resilient as hope. We see it everywhere we look, every day we live. Hope is the little girl dancing in her living room and dreaming of her time on the stage; it’s the student born into poverty now graduating college. It’s incredible how instinctual and natural it is to experience hope from a very young age, but the strongest among us can maintain it even into old age.
Dream a Dream
At the root of any ambition or endeavor is hope. I believe it is safe to say that, without it, no person would ever truly attempt anything. In fact, it’s very likely that humanity as a whole would have perished long ago without it.
I believe that hope can be summarized as being a belief in the possibility of good things to come. In some cases, there’s little that would be incredible about this faith. What is remarkable, however, is the ability for hope to exist even in the darkest of places. To the point: if you’ve ever had the opportunity to read some of the journal entries and writings which have been preserved from prisoners in concentration camps during World War II, you’ll know that many of them still possessed a remarkable capacity to believe in good. Here was a group of people faced with one of the most desperate situations to ever be known, but a surprising percentage managed to nurture and preserve their hope in the face of overwhelming evil and the likelihood of imminent death.
The Birth of Hope
What’s equally interesting is that, compared to how natural hope is in childhood, there also seems to be a time during adolescence where it may be lost and never found again. Whether it has always been the case is hard to say, but many people encounter harder times after entering their teenage years. When not supported and nurtured by those about them, too many people fall into depression and hopelessness. Even when this proves survivable, it can leave a dangerous and detrimental impression for life.
We all experience fear, worry, and doubts in our lives. The fact is, we live in a challenging and intimidating world where not everyone we meet has our best in mind. I’ve known too many wonderful people that simply give up and give in. Still, I’ve also seen many incredible people that have risen up and overcome impossible odds. This rarely happens by coincidence, and hope almost always plays a strong role in their success.
If you find yourself in a dark place, I hope you can reach out to those around you that can support you. The world is full of wonderful people with an ability to care outside of themselves. Don’t let the dark times lead you to fear, and don’t let anything put out your hope for better days to come.
Thank you for your time.
