Hope - The Wind Beneath Our Dreams

 Hopelessness is the end result of desperation, despair, uselessness and futility. No one ever searches for this companion but many consider it to be a lifelong associate. We recognize this most often with the play-it-safers, the slaves of the ordinary; the creatures of commonplace. They spend their lives trying to survive one climb up the rough side of the mountain after another; their numbers are immense. They have long ago forsaken the idea of harboring dreams, buried with their loss of hope. Is there a cure for this malady that robs us of the opportunity to soar to a place where dreams are vivid and reality is merged with imagination?

We choose what we believe in and doing so, create the reality we exist in. How is it possible that so many people choose to believe in something that results in a feeling of hopelessness and despair? It happens when we encounter one 'hit' after another in life; when it truly does seem that we are trudging up the rough side of a mountain of futility. Usually by the time we arrive at this point we have encountered one loss after another and so we hold tightly to that which is left, fearing that soon all will be lost and we will be desolate and broken. It is this very fear that causes us to ignore the opportunity to lay down the heavy burden we have been dragging along on the journey, for within that burden lies all that is left of what we believe in. Letting it go is more fearful than continuing the climb that is destined to finally break us.

It is about this time that we search the heavens and cry out, "Why me, God?" And there in the silence we find the response; "Why indeed do you continue to follow the same path, the one that has broken you, as you refuse to believe in the miracle of life?" Profound it is, and though it is whispered in the silence that penetrates our despair, we hear the question being asked.

Humans are born with hope and a survival instinct that is rivaled by no other species. Even if we have forgotten it consciously, way down deep our soul remembers the promise of hope and life that was instilled in us as we received that first breath that signaled our entry into life. We remember; it is why we expect so much more and why we are angry when life fails to deliver that which we imagined it could be. We remember!

Facing the fear of losing everything is as simple as allowing it to go if that is the plan in your life. Just let go! Fear is an unnatural and learned response for all of us. It was never instilled in us or a plan for our life. We release the grip of this powerful emotion by simply letting go of whatever we are in fear of losing. That which belongs to us cannot be lost and that which does not cannot be contained. When you accept this you release the attachment and allow new and better opportunities to surface, and hope, that promise and expectation of something that is near and dear to your heart, suddenly springs to life.

People who simply gave up and let go only to realize their greatest dreams are found in every community. Listen to their stories and you will hear about how hard they tried and finally gave up and let go. Having the courage to stop fighting battles that may not be yours and eliminating the hold that fear has on your life ends the battle up the rough side of the mountain. You simply step away and see the promise of things that were obliterated by your intense focus on not losing anything more than you have already lost.

It is here, at this stopping point where we find our dreams, and freedom with the expectation that life is about to deliver all that we ever hoped to achieve. It is also the place called faith, because that is all that is required to eliminate fear. Hope is the wind beneath all of our dreams, and faith is the foundation of the hero in every human. We are born with the instinct to have faith in what lays ahead, the courage to dream and to believe in our own potential to be happy, healthy and whole. If you are feeling hopeless, dare to let go and let the best that can be spring forward from the ashes of your personal pain!