"Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."
- Vaclav Havel
How often have you said, "I hope it will all turn out good"? Just say it to yourself now, and feel inside, how this changes the feeling inside your body?
Do you feel strong & decisive, or do you feel weak & afraid to do the first step? I bet if you repeat that mantra of "hoping it will all turn out good", that your energy level goes down the toilet.
Why is hope making you weaker, when it is supposed to motivate you and give you strength?
Because the concept of hope is one of the most misunderstood ones in history.
Compare this to the concept of hope that Vaclav Havel proclaimed in his quote.
Imagine yourself with an inner certainty about whatever you do making sense, and you not caring about how it turns out.
That is the inner strength of a warrior, who is not afraid to risk his life for his convictions. And the warriors of today don't need to kill people.
With that definition in mind Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, Jesus were all great warriors. They had the hope that made them certain about their actions making sense.
Does that mean, that they didn't make mistakes? No! They did, like everyone else of us. But that didn't stop them. Because although you might make mistakes on your way, this type of hope that what you hope will make sense, allows you to restart again after you've made a failure. While you would be devastated through your failures would you only hope that it will all turn out well.
If Hope for You Means, Wishing for a Good Ending Only ...... then that could lead to:
being afraid something might turn out bad, stops you dead in the tracks, even before you made the first step.
increased stress levels, since subconsciously you'll always focus on the possibility of it turning out bad. And power follows focus, so it might more often turn out bad in the end.
you not putting in 100% of your heart, because you don't want to be disappointed by not making it come true.
If Hope for You Means, Knowing That It Has Meaning, No Matter How It Ends ...... then that could lead to:
you making the first necessary step to make it happen.
decreased stress levels. Yes it still could turn out bad, but there is so much, that is not in your hands anyway, so you might leave fate to God, the Gods or whatever you believe in and focus on what you can do. That is all that is necessary.
using worries constructively: in the beginning phase, you should do constructive worrying. That means taking into consideration all problems that come to your mind, and find out, what you could do proactively to avoid them or what else to do about them. But once that process is done, you must forget about worrying, or it will rob all energy and boldness from you.
So watch yourself how you use the phrase "I hope ..." in your life. Is it most often in the way of "I hope it will all turn out good"? If so, you better watch, if your mind is not too much on the fear side of it turning out bad.
Make a list of why whatever you want to do is important to you. Get a list of big "Why" answers.
Why do I want to do it?
Why does it make sense to do it?
Why is it important to do it?
Who else would benefit from this?
What is the worst thing, that could happen and why would my actions still be important then?
You see, by preparing for the worst and accepting it as a possible outcome, you can find the motivation through this important question that will keep you working on it when the going gets tough.
If you are ready to do stand up for something you believe 100% in, no matter how it turns out, accepting the risks that are coming with it - you will experience a feeling of being alive, that you might have never experienced before. And at the end of it all, you could say - it was worth the ride. Isn't that what it's all about?
