The definition of hope is “the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” Have you ever felt hopeful? I know I have. Hope is a powerful emotion. Earlier this week, I joyfully embraced the Spring Equinox. Spring has officially sprung. The sound of the birds chirping, the momentary feeling of the warm sun on my skin, and the promise of warmer weather is ahead. How could I not be hopeful knowing that the days are getting longer and the winter is fading away?

In a slight departure from my usual genre of choice, I’ve been reading The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice. Aside from her engaging writing style, she also sprinkles some tidbits of profound wisdom in her fictional masterpiece. She wrote, “Hoping for something is not the same as expecting it.”

She’s Right

If I expect something to happen, I may put all my thoughts into believing my expectation to come to fruition. In doing that, I leave myself open to disappointment. But if I’m hopeful, I’m more willing to accept when things don’t go my way. I’m more willing to recognize that everything happens for a reason. And try to learn from the outcome presented.

As Casey Gwinn, author of Hope Rising says, “The research shows that people with high hope do better in life than those with low hope. High hope helps us overcome trauma better than low hope. High hope helps people do better in surviving cancer than low hope.”

A Little Bit of Hope Goes a Long Way

I hope for a better future. I hope for a more peaceful existence. And I hope I never give up hoping.

Here’s another powerful Anne Rice quote from The Wolf Gift, “I’m hoping what all sentient beings hope … that somehow I’m part of something larger than myself, in which I play a role, an actual role that is somehow intended and meaningful.”

I know I’m a part of something much larger than myself. I know I exist in a world where my role can make a difference. I don’t expect the world around me to change according to my will. But I do hope that all the events occurring in my life will turn out for the best.

I’m hopeful to have many more decades to live on this planet. And in that time, I’m going to make a meaningful difference.