Hope. It's what drives nearly every step we take in the direction of our aspirations. The thing about hope is, we never truly know what is going to happen. All we can do with hope is imagine the best outcome and count on it.
People need something they can count on. Whether it be a person, a place, or a dream, no one lives this life without looking forward to being more involved with that something. I know I could never live that way. Most of the time, living and working towards what we hope for is great, but the problem is that we tend to try and make it there. We don't stop to watch the world move.
The issue I have with hope is that it isn't a guarantee. As an anxious person myself, I tend to rely on my ability to hope and to bargain with myself. I constantly try to convince myself that if I do this one thing, I'll make it to this place in my life. It's a cycle that never ends and the one thing I can say comes out of it for sure is a lot of insecurity and frustration, especially when things don't end up the way I hoped they would.
The closer I get to becoming a fully independent adult with a career, the more I have to teach myself to be strong and patient. The less I rely on just hoping, and the more I work with myself to grow, to establish myself, and to take matters into my own hands.
A friend of mine once told me that if I really wanted something, and if I really felt that I was worthy of it happening, the only thing left for me to do is to not screw up. He told me to stop worrying and to trust myself and in my abilities. He said, "if you're meant for this, it'll happen." Granted this was over a year ago, it still stuck with me because as I grow as a professional, a student, and as a person, I constantly have to remind myself of this. Nothing happens due to chance.
The point is to believe in yourself, and in your abilities. Sometimes, sitting around waiting for something to become what you want it to isn't enough, no matter how badly you want it to.
I'm not saying we shouldn't be hopeful. I hope we continue to grow as a generation who dreams and creates ambition for ourselves and for each other. My point is that we can't wait to make things happen. We need to find a happy medium between hoping and doing. Remember that if you really want something, you should always give it 150 percent.
Never give up on yourself. You get as much out of something as you put into it.
My hope for all of you is that you find your balance between hoping and doing. That you take matters into your own hands and stop hoping for the world to bring you to the place you want to be and that you start taking the wheel.
Hope can be a wonderful thing. But we can't merely rely on hope by itself. Rather, we need to learn to hope that we may be responsible for the outcomes of our actions. You are what you need to put hope into!
