Do you have some things truly worth hoping for?
Martin Luther King, Jr. once shared this truth: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Life is full of both small and gigantic disappointments. Yet, we still hope! It’s as if we are wired for it. Those who lose all hope are the ones who become a shell of the person they were meant to be. They are the ones whose lives come to a grinding halt.
Hope is the confidence in something we don’t yet see or haven’t yet experienced. We all place our hope in something. Some of those hopes are more trivial than others, aren’t they? If we are going to risk disappointment, let’s risk wisely! Let’s stop hoping for the inconsequential things in this life. Here are three things truly worth hoping for.
We are all relational, even you introverts! Love is the basic building block of all our meaningful relationships. And, we’re not talking about the “I love chocolate” kind of love. We’re talking about the “never gives up” kind. This is the type of love we are all seeking! It’s a love that’s worth the risk. This love is not self-serving, but sacrificial. It doesn’t hold grudges. It encourages others and builds them up rather than tears them down or leaves them alone. It forgives. It protects. It endures. As long as we don’t settle for less out of fear of never finding it, we’ll discover this kind of love. This genuine love is one of the best things worth hoping for... and it’s out there for all of us. Love is one of the best things truly worth hoping for.
Henry David Thoreau once claimed, “Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” We all want the good life, right? We hope for the kind of life that includes truth, compassion, beauty, and happiness. I don’t know many who want a life filled with lies, malice, or sorrow. Some may argue that we all have a responsibility to improve ourselves, thus improving the lives of those around us. Madeleine M. Kunin once remarked, “We're all basically made of the same stuff: generosity and selfishness, goodness and greed.” If we aim our choices, actions, and beliefs at goodness, we will find the kind of life we’ve been seeking all along, one defined by positivity and joy.
No, we’re not talking about bigger houses or bank accounts here. Though, we are all after something bigger. Maybe it's a bigger purpose! At some point, we will all ask the big question - what is the meaning of life? When our focus narrows so we see only our own lives, the disappointments are more painful, the hurt is more personal, and the betrayals are more shocking. However, if we view ourselves as part of a bigger picture, if the world is really our family, then our own personal stories aren’t so devastating. Hope is born from the knowledge that our lives are part of a greater purpose. We can affect others and in turn affect ourselves. We can make a difference. Our painful pasts and what we’ve learned through our own experiences can be used to help others. We understand that we are not alone. Discovering our bigger purpose on this earth is definitely something worth hoping for.
Hope is the assurance of things we can’t yet see. What are your hopes? What are you risking? Is it worth it? Are your dreams too small? We HOPE you will find what it is you’re looking for. You have another day. It’s called today. Don’t give up!