Standing On Hope

Hope: To trust in, wait of, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.

“To Trust In…”

In order to trust in something, you have to believe in it. Belief in practice is when you have the ability to make bold declarations and actually think that whatever you’re believing in can and will happen. When you believe, you share your belief with others. When you believe, you take joy in the process because you know what will be achieved in the end.

Assuming that we all live life striving to get better at whatever it is we do every day, belief is essential to elevation because you must be able to know that you’re capable of moving up to the next level in order to do the work it takes to get there. Physically reach up and attempt to grab something. Between your body and your hand rests your what? Your arm! In this illustration, your arm represents the journey that you must take in order to arrive at your destination (think about it, ponder it, it’ll hit you on the way home). The beauty in this is that your arm will never shrink.

A person who is a believer walks around with a security and a confidence. They aren’t afraid nor ashamed to proclaim their truth. When you trust in something, you believe that it will happen and that changes the way you behave.

“…Wait Of…”

The virtue in waiting is patience. Let’s think about the general instances in life when we’re able to show patience. We show patience when we know something will happen. When you’ve worked a job and signed a contract to receive compensation for your work, you will remain patient in waiting for your paycheck. You signed a contract. You know that you’re going to get your money. If you’re the driver for your group of friends while heading out for vacation and you’re stopping to pick everyone up along the way, you are patient from house to house because you know that your friends are going to be in your car shortly. They really want, need this vacation.

We are able to have patience in situations where we know that something will come to pass. This is the same patience that we need to possess in our own lives when we are waiting on our dreams to become reality. We need to have that expectancy in our periods of wait knowing that after an amount of time, we will see the reward.

“…Look For…”

The definition used above for hope also includes to “look for.” I believe that in our periods of wait, we are to intentionally look for opportunities to network with others and create meaningful relationships with people around us. We need to open up to the idea that these people possess skills that we can capitalize on and if you feel like that’s not the circle you’re in, you need to find a community where you can feel this is true. If you feel that no one around you is able to offer you any opportunity for growth, you may need to find new people to be around. You should also be ready to make yourself, goal included, known. Don’t be afraid to talk about what you long to do. You never know who is listening.

“…To Expect…”

Expectancy is the last part of this definition I want to highlight. When you’ve played your cards right and done what you know you can and should do, don’t be surprised when things start to work out for you. Embrace it. It’s okay. Promise. So often, we begin to reap the fruits of our labor, yet we don’t take joy in what we’ve done. Don’t do that. Don’t sell yourself short. Just smile, wave, and remain humble. But take joy.

My prayer for all of us today is that we are bold enough to dream and hopeful enough to continue to pursue our dreams. Fly high!