The magical power of hope
November 14, 2006 | 12:00am
"The grand essentials of happiness are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." – Allan K. Chalmers
When I was young, I came across a story that left a permanent imprint on my mind. It was about a man who announced to his two grandchildren that he won in the sweepstakes. Both were freshmen at a university, so the grandfather declared that whosoever shall finish college with honors would get the prize money, the certificate of which was kept in a bank’s safety deposit box. Keeping the grand reward in mind, the cousins became competitive, studied hard, and got very good grades. Both were to graduate with honors so they proudly invited their grandpa to attend the graduation ceremony. The event was doubly exciting for the two because aside from achieving the highest honors, they would be splitting the prize money. Unfortunately, a week before their graduation, their grandfather fell ill. On the day of the graduation, he passed away. Later, when the family opened the old man’s safety deposit box, they found his will and a letter addressed to the two. It read: Enclosed is the winning sweepstakes ticket. It only won the consolation prize of a few hundred pesos, but look at what it got you. A future bright and secure because now you have the power of knowledge – a true treasure no one can ever take away from you. Although a bit disappointed, the two couldn’t help but smile and be grateful for the wisdom of their grandfather and the miracle of hope he gifted them.
To hope is to cherish a desire that something good will happen, enflamed with the belief of its possibility and faith in its fulfillment. Hope fuels dreams, and gives meaning and direction to life. It provides the beckoning glimmer of light in the midst of despair and darkness.
Norman Cousins declares, "The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started."
Samuel Smiles proclaims, "Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles."
Martin Luther King Jr. remarks, "If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all."
When life loses its luster and meaning, we must look at our dreams and wishes instead of dwelling on our problems and failures. We should bring back hope into our hearts and minds, and allow it to weave its magic into our lives.
As Mother Teresa advises, "To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it."
Yes, even if we have to fantasize a little and invent something fictitious to hope for.
Here’s another inspiring story, this time an ancient Tibetan Buddhist tale about how hope worked out a miracle: Many centuries ago, a severe famine swept through a valley in Tibet. A father saw that he and his children would not live much longer since all their food was gone. He filled some bags with ashes, tied them with ropes from the ceiling, and told his little children, "We have lots of roasted barley flour in those bags, but we shouldn’t eat them now because we need to save them for the future."
The father died of hunger, but the children survived until some people came to rescue them. Although they were weaker than their father, the children lived because of their belief that they had food. Their father died because he had lost hope.
In this trouble-laden world, it is very easy to get discouraged. When faced with problems and difficulties, we tend to lose hope and give up. Without something to hope for, life loses its meaning. Hope could be the magical ingredient to strengthen your courage and power your heart. There is an ancient Roman saying that goes, "While there’s life, there’s hope." The reverse is true, too – "While there is hope, there is life!"
For your comments on this article and inquiry about the author’s life-enhancing seminars, e-mail deroseminar@yahoo.com.
When I was young, I came across a story that left a permanent imprint on my mind. It was about a man who announced to his two grandchildren that he won in the sweepstakes. Both were freshmen at a university, so the grandfather declared that whosoever shall finish college with honors would get the prize money, the certificate of which was kept in a bank’s safety deposit box. Keeping the grand reward in mind, the cousins became competitive, studied hard, and got very good grades. Both were to graduate with honors so they proudly invited their grandpa to attend the graduation ceremony. The event was doubly exciting for the two because aside from achieving the highest honors, they would be splitting the prize money. Unfortunately, a week before their graduation, their grandfather fell ill. On the day of the graduation, he passed away. Later, when the family opened the old man’s safety deposit box, they found his will and a letter addressed to the two. It read: Enclosed is the winning sweepstakes ticket. It only won the consolation prize of a few hundred pesos, but look at what it got you. A future bright and secure because now you have the power of knowledge – a true treasure no one can ever take away from you. Although a bit disappointed, the two couldn’t help but smile and be grateful for the wisdom of their grandfather and the miracle of hope he gifted them.
Norman Cousins declares, "The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started."
Samuel Smiles proclaims, "Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles."
Martin Luther King Jr. remarks, "If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all."
When life loses its luster and meaning, we must look at our dreams and wishes instead of dwelling on our problems and failures. We should bring back hope into our hearts and minds, and allow it to weave its magic into our lives.
As Mother Teresa advises, "To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it."
Yes, even if we have to fantasize a little and invent something fictitious to hope for.
The father died of hunger, but the children survived until some people came to rescue them. Although they were weaker than their father, the children lived because of their belief that they had food. Their father died because he had lost hope.
In this trouble-laden world, it is very easy to get discouraged. When faced with problems and difficulties, we tend to lose hope and give up. Without something to hope for, life loses its meaning. Hope could be the magical ingredient to strengthen your courage and power your heart. There is an ancient Roman saying that goes, "While there’s life, there’s hope." The reverse is true, too – "While there is hope, there is life!"
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