When you want to give up; activate your hope

Hope is a strong word that takes a strong mind to showcase or express. The word hope goes beyond what we just say with our mouths; it has to be put into action, but first, what is hope? I will define hope as the belief and feeling one has that good things can happen in the future, even when things seem tough right now. Hope gives us the assurance that no matter how difficult things might be at the moment, there will be a solution in the future.

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I had an experience with hope, and it made me believe so much that no matter how difficult the challenges may be, keeping a positive mindset at all times will make you overcome no matter how long it takes. My mom was sick for a year, and this was a sickness that nearly claimed her life, and she was taken away from home, away from her husband and children. Not seeing her for a year was the toughest time of my life. All I could do at that time was hope that one day I would set my eyes on her again. And after a year, I kept my hope alive, proclaiming positively every day that I would see her again, and after a year and two months, my mom came back to us alive. Keeping my hope alive at that difficult time was the best thing I could do.

There are lots of things that hope enables us to do as humans. These things might be underrated, but it is the work or act of hope that enables us as humans to still hold on even when it's not convenient.

• Hope motivates us to work hard and keep trying even in tough times.

• Hope brings comfort; believing that a better day is ahead will always comfort us.

• Hope gives us the courage and strength we need to carry on in tough times.

Sometimes speaking positively is part of keeping one's hope alive as a human. Taking people battling with terminal diseases as an example, some of them don't give up on life so easily; they do believe that they can recover from it, and either they did or not, their hopes are alive. And at the end of it, some sure recover while others don't, but their hopes took them till their last day. Take one of the "America Got Talent" contestants named "Nightbird," who lost her life to cancer of the spine and lungs, for example. She said, and I quote, "Even during this difficult time of my life, I believe I can still make something out of life." This made her participate in the audition, where she was selected to perform, and after a week or more, she died. She knew her chances of surviving were slim, but yet she believed she was okay and healthy; she kept her hope alive, and at the end, she wasn't so fortunate, but at least she made something out of life as she wanted.

Also, in my journey as an adult, I've realized that there are some agents of hope, which could be positive or negative. There are some factors that help us as humans keep our hopes alive, while there are others that murder our hopes. Many of those who overcame one challenge or another did so because they saw positive agents to keep their hopes alive. Some of these positive agents are:

• Supportive family and friends

• Focusing on one's goal

• Celebrating every little win

• Thinking of past challenges one overcame

Engaging in creative hobbies such as art and, I will say, listening to music with good and encouraging lyrics helps a lot too.

All these are positive agents that boost hope. At that point where I had to put my hope to work, I engaged in these five positive factors, and it helped me through my journey during that difficult year of my life. As a teenager, I could have easily lost hope, but I was able to navigate through.

Thanks for your time, and your comments will be appreciated.

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