Don’t get your hopes up. That’s the unfortunate mantra I live by. Whether it’s a new job, a new love interest, or even a new haircut, I’ve conditioned myself to assume the worst. It’s easier that way, I tell myself, and it never stings as bad. Maybe if I never hope in anything, I say, I’ll become a tough warrior woman, never fearing rejection, criticism, or disappointment. Never getting hurt. But life just doesn’t seem to work that way.
My life lately has been a little rough. Actually, scratch that, it’s been a lot rough. I’m not just riding the struggle bus, I’m driving it. And when I resist hope, what is there to look forward to? Am I destined to drive this bus forever? Fleeting moments of happiness, snuggling my kitten, wearing my favorite sweater, eating waffles for dinner, pass by all too soon when they find no place to take root in a hardened and hopeless heart.
On a recent drive to work, feeling particularly disillusioned and having forgotten my coffee on the kitchen counter, I blinked back tears of frustration and turned up the La La Land soundtrack. But not even “Another Day of Sun” could brighten my mood. Then it came to me, an epiphany *almost* as beautiful as Ryan Gosling…I needed hope.
Merriam Webster dictionary defines hope as, “to expect with confidence.” To fill my life with hope, to expect that good and even beautiful things will happen, allows me to live in the brilliance of the now. To even the rockiest soil of the heart, hope is transformative, softening, and enriching. A heart full of hope is one where the simple moments easily take root and bloom into day altering experiences, because the heart knows that splendor is all around us and in us. Even more fulfilling, a heart that hopes in God, in His divine goodness even when life is pretty dang rotten, is a heart that is free and is full.
I’m not saying hope is just going to plop into your life without any hustle on your end. Like a little seedling that will one day produce a radiant flower, hope must be cultivated to, tended, and nurtured. This could include journaling, praying, or writing down what you are thankful for, among other things. It could be dreaming, imagining all the amazing possibilities the future could hold and that could be right around the corner in fact. Hope is highly individual, as we each have unique and exciting dreams and ambitions. Allow hope to take root in your heart, starting with the little things. No matter what you hope for, it all starts with getting your hopes up.
Author: Ellen Wildman
Email: [email protected]
Author Bio: Ellen is passionate about homelessness awareness, gluten free baked goods, snuggling cats, and dancing like everybody’s watching.
Link to social media or website: https://www.instagram.com/ellen_wildman/
