The Two Sides Of Hope

“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” – Jonas Salk

Hope is a powerful fuel for the human spirit. Without it, it can be difficult to even get out of bed in the morning. I believe hope is an absolutely critical ingredient to self-propelled success. But there is a duality to hope that must be understood in order to harness it in the most effective way. Otherwise, hope can hold you back. Let me explain.

No one can take it from you.

Many things in this life are completely out of your control. Sometimes you are dealt circumstances that you wouldn’t have chosen for yourself. Other times the actions of others affect your life in a way you couldn’t have prevented. And now and then things, experiences, or people are taken from you without your consent.

Unlike many things in life, hope is something that can’t be forcibly taken from you. Therein lies its magic. Hope is a constant in life if you choose to maintain that perspective on things. I’m not saying there won’t be days where you feel deflated, but no outside force has the ability to truly steal the hope in your life.

It’s the wind beneath your wings.

We’ve all experienced the intoxicating feeling of newly discovered potential. Whether it’s a business idea, a new job opportunity, or an obstacle to overcome, hope and the possibility of success are invigorating. But this feeling and these moments are fleeting. They’re a spark, but they aren’t the actual path to fulfilling your potential.

We must remember that while hope is inspiring, motivating, and necessary for success, action is required to achieve your goals. Just like a can of gas can’t take you anywhere if you don’t have a car to put it in, hope alone doesn’t get the work done.

You are the vehicle to your destination; hope is only your fuel.

If hoping for the life you want is your plan for making it happen, I’m sorry to inform you that’s a terrible strategy. Hope in itself isn’t an effective method for achieving your goals. But it can be a powerful motivator for making a plan of action.

What actually needs to happen to accomplish your dreams? I realize that question may sound daunting because some goals are HUGE! But there’s no minimum to how small the individual steps can be on your path to success. Feel free to break down your journey into parts that you feel comfortable and confident tackling.

There’s a time to hope and a time to champion.

Have you ever felt underappreciated at work? It happens to all of us from time to time. This can be one of the worst feelings because we all want to feel like our efforts are being recognized. But you must be your own best champion when it comes to highlighting your contributions and strengths.

Hoping that someone else will recognize your outstanding work ethic or special skills can lead to disappointment. You are the only person who sees every little thing you do, so why expect another person (who might be paying more attention to what they themselves are doing) to recognize your efforts?

Don’t hope your flaws will fade away.

Not only do you need to understand and champion your strengths, but you also need to own your shortcomings as well. No human being is perfect, including you! This should come as a great relief to you because there’s no need for you to ever be perfect.

But understanding your flaws and working to improve them is a key element to achieving success. Often the same characteristics that could be considered a negative can be harnessed for the positive as well. Think about what you could work on and then take action!

Turn hope into action.

I say all of this not to take the warm, fuzzy feeling out of hoping but to encourage you to hope boundlessly! The more fuel you can gather for your journey the better. Just be sure you are taking action steps towards your goals while also daydreaming about the endless possibilities life holds for you.