I have been thinking about hope a lot lately.  It occurred to me, that when l am hopeful, disappointment is impossible, even if it is only in that moment.  One simply cannot feel both emotions at the same time. Hope influences the very heart of one’s attitude. I guess you could say that hopefulness is the heart of optimism.

Being optimistic in today’s world can be difficult.  We are inundated with bad news on a continuous basis.  It is no wonder that depression is a part of many of our lives.  And economic conditions play an enormous role as our world becomes more dominated by the lopsided distribution of wealth. This can tend to make those who are financially impoverished, more prone to a state of hopelessness.

In spite of having good reason to lose hope, there are people who do not succumb to this attitude. I have always marveled at those with little means who still are able to see the glass as half full.  Perhaps it is because those folks also have a good measure of faith as well. Faith and hope together are a dynamic force.

Now comes the hard part.  If one does not have hope, one can be headed down the path to despair.  To me, there is nothing worse than this. That is the best reason to cling to it.  And for those of us who have compassion and time, friendship can indeed be a gift one can give to a person going through such a trial. Being there, with someone who is  living through a difficult time, is powerful.

Whenever human beings reach out to help each other, hope grows in abundance.  It is so important in our world, to see each other’s struggles and be with them in their time of need.  For, if we can see our lives as interconnected, we can make our world a kinder place. And by doing this, hope will increase.  All of this can happen, because hope doesn’t disappoint.