Currently, the world is reeling from one crisis to another. The global pandemic has affected everyone’s life big-time, some more and some less. Many of us struggle during this tough time, not only are we all unable to travel overseas for holidays and unite with our family, some of us have lost our jobs and loved ones as the result of the global pandemic. We have changed our lifestyle to follow the new rules to stay safe and help avoid spreading the virus. Many of us have had to be separated from our loved ones and unable to travel for a family reunion missing important family events such as birthdays, weddings, funerals and so on. The uncertainty and fear of the unknown future play a big role in our life.
On top of that dealing with personal daily ordeals and battles makes our life even more unbearable. People's mental health is affected. As we are into the second year of the pandemic we continue to hear constant news about the pace this COVID is spreading in many countries causing hundreds of deaths, economic struggles, ongoing renewed lockdowns, restraints on social interactions and temporary isolations. Are you losing HOPE? A combined study in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada of residents found that as a result of the pandemic anxiety has increased among the people.
Sorrow, grief, loneliness, fear, heartache is all we are experiencing these days. We need a mechanism and a way to deal with these negative emotions and find a way to be able to survive and move forward. But How? What gives us the motivation to keep moving, planning for our future and achieving our goal?
HOPE is what we are looking for. When we take HOPE away from a man or woman, we simply strip that being of everything. Without HOPE, life would be meaningless with no purpose. Without HOPE, we cannot keep going because we have nothing to look forward to. It’s been known that on his deathbed someone still kept alive with the HOPE that they were still going to see their loved one?
HOPE is what gives us reasons to live, to keep going and to look forward to our future. It gives us the purpose and power to dream and fight through our struggles and hardships to let us get where we want to go. According to Wikipedia, “Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on the expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one’s life or the world at large”. What a nice description!
I decided to make an acronym for HOPE, to remind myself of this powerful and magical word,
Human Optimistic and Positive Excitement
Just remember: HOPE KEEPS US ALIVE, Right? Hope gives humans an optimistic and positive excitement to build a dream future without fear.
“Fear disappears in our life as the HOPE keeps the light alight at the end of the tunnel”
Shab Ighani
HOPE is light to the dark and uncertain future in our life, a light that allows us to find ourselves in the dark and allow us to keep going no matter what life throws at us during our life’s journey. Because we know that there will be something good waiting for us during this journey and in the end. HOPE brings commitment, strength and power. HOPE feeds our spirit, makes our minds strong and gives us a reason to be happy. It is a gift that allows us to find the world more colourful and enjoyable.
HOPE allows us to picture a better future and motivates us to take the steps towards our destination and to believe that tomorrow will be a better day. No matter how small, HOPE will uplift our mood and give us purpose in life. HOPE and good feelings in life are both directly related since HOPE gives us encouragement and desire.
Let me tell you from my experience about the power of HOPE in my own life. I experienced this personally in my life many times. Every time I was struggling, had feared to go on and was about to give up, HOPE was exactly the reason that made me keep going. I want to talk to you about my recent experience how HOPE gave me the energy to continue and be strong!
Since last year, on top of the restriction and struggle due to the pandemic, I had been going through a tough time, dealing with the loss of my beloved brother-in-law, the loss of my much-loved pet “Storm”, pain of finding my best friend suffering from cancer and seeing my dad suffering from severe sickness and much more. It has been a struggle to handle a full-time job, looking after my elderly parents and dealing with my personal life. Especially since I’ve been in the middle of publishing my first book "Fighting for A Future: Trapped behind the border. HOPE was something I greatly needed to help me to keep going and be able to cope.
Then, in the middle of all this sadness, struggles and tussles a HOPE came alive and my life changed! A HOPE that slowly grew bigger and bigger in her mother's womb!
It was the HOPE of meeting my first grandchild. HOPE as warm as the sun shining on a new day, as fragrant as a colourful rose in the garden and as wonderful as a blazing sunset. It gave me a purpose to go forward to be grateful and to be happy.
The HOPE of seeing my little princess face for the first time made me keep smiling and keep going, the HOPE of seeing her first smiles, her first laugh, her first walk, the first time she calls my name, her first birthday and many more after.
Then I realised that is true; HOPE KEEPS US ALIVE! A HOPE that keeps my heartbeat stronger for the love of my princess, “ my little princess”.