Hope is regarded as a positive attitude, one that can steer us through the challenges we face. During the current historical moment, when the global pandemic has unleashed so much despair, we need hope more than ever. Hope is not only a belief that motivates us to move forward, a light that draws us away from the sorrow at our backs, but it is also an element that we can harness to improve our ability to solve problems because it allows us to take different paths and to find the one that fits us best.
Growing up, I heard a constant refrain: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” And yet, until I experienced my own hopelessness, I never understood that value of this mantra. Hardship always exists. In the face of it, we can do little more than apply ourselves to resisting it. To have hope, we believe there is a way to resolve challenges. We accept that, in the midst of the most interminable desert, a body of cool water resides. It is for us to find it. Hope stimulates our resilience, even in the face of insurmountable odds.
When we have hope, when we envision a brighter future, our will to overcome adversity is the engine of ingenuity. Our ability to deal with problems is boosted when we have hope and believe life will become better. On the other hand, hope can affect people’s feelings around us. As Elie Wiesel once said, “Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.” From the previous example, my friend’s mom refused to help, even though the data I needed from her was minimal. Her behavior to me was like the straw that breaks the camel’s back. A single straw is easier to bear, but the gross accumulation of little travesties produces devastating results. The last straw is always preventable. I really needed her help, but her action deprived me of the only hope I had left. It is gentle to maintain the hope of other people because, in preserving theirs, we surprisingly discover that we remain hopeful simultaneously. We have the capacity to offer others hope based on our capability. Anne Frank wrote, “Where there is Hope, there is life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.” We all live in the same society. No matter what we are facing, we can influence each other to sustain hope.
We always hope that there is a good result the time we attend a competition. The result apparently won’t be delightful all the time, otherwise it wouldn’t be competition. The end of a competition never means the end of life. Do not lose yourself based on one competition; it’s not enough to prove who you truly are. With hope, we obtain other chances because we are inspired to try again. We don’t give up easily until the very end is revealed. Talented people in will be recognized when they insist on participating in a competition with hope and enthusiasm.
Take myself as an example of the relationship between hope and competition. I have been in a writing competition, and I felt extremely nervous when the shortlist was about to be revealed. Even though I thought I had little chance, owing to the strong competition I faced, I still held out hope, the possibility, that I would be lucky. When I saw the result, the absence of my name, I felt that I had known it before, but the reality nonetheless was crushing. The most important part of participating in a competition is to be able to lose. No matter whether I am convinced by the consequence, I have to face the reality of what has taken place. Temporary loss prepares for future wins. Adhering to belief is the strength of humanity. The present of hope inspires me to keep trying and having faith in the miracle of my own success.
Research shows that being hopeful helps individual to manage anxiety toward issues and believe life will turn out better. Hopeful people are more capable to cope with adversity when they have positive attitudes because they believe that they can reach their goals and with efforts. Here is a famous quote from Martin Luther King Jr. “We must accept infinite disappointment, but never lose infinite disappointment.” Nothing is done until we tell ourselves that we would never make it without hope. Everything you want to do will be possible.
Milly Chen, an international student from China, is a peer reader at school Writing Hub. Her pieces have been published in Young Scholars Journal and Teen Inks. Since 8th grade, she started her creative writing journey and attended various writing contests. To treasure delightful memories and appreciate meaningful things in life, she loves writing diaries. Even though it was difficult to not go back home for two years, she used writing to relieve stress. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, dancing, reading and watching movies. She is excited to share her unique story and read people’s wonderful work.