Sunday, August 30, 2009

Hope


Question: If we have Faith in our ideas, talents and the course of
action we have plotted for ourselves, why then do we need Hope?

Before we can evaluate the concept of Hope, it is important that we
do not confuse Hope with false hope.

False hope is a negative energy. It is the Karmic debt we incur
when we Choose to surrender the option and privilege of being
responsible for our thoughts and actions.

False hope is fear disguised as potential fortune. It is the "carrot"
placed before our eyes which keeps us focused on the illusion of a
tempting reward while taking our eyes off of our Path.

False hope is the wishful thinking that we have come to associate
with, and accept as, true Hope. It is a desperate wish which is
void of all vision and effort. It is beseeching external forces to do
for us what we are too lazy to do for ourselves. It is imploring these
same external forces to make Events turn out the way we want
them to turn out without exercising any effort of our own.

False hope, simply put, is the abandonment of self-reliance and
self-responsibility in the gamble that a situation will improve, or
someone else will look after our best interests for us.

When we wallow in false hope we are risking our physical and
mental health, wealth and security on the roll of a pair of loaded
dice whose outcome has already been determined.

False hope shackles us to destructive Relationships, losing
propositions, failed investments and unsatisfying careers. It drains
our energies, plunders our fortunes, erodes years from our lives and
blinds us to the true opportunities which surround us.

Hope: While we can have Faith in our talents and abilities, we can
only have Hope that we are using our talents and abilities in a way
which will make our plans and dreams come true.

It is important to keep in mind that Hope, by itself, does not
guarantee us success in any of our endeavors. This is due to the
fact that, regardless of our confidence or perseverance, we can never
be absolutely certain that our plans and dreams will turn out the way
we originally intended.

Hope does, however, instill within us the combination of expectation
and desire; it is an "educated guess" that our plans, ideas and efforts
are well-founded and have the possibility of bearing fruit; it also
contains the "principle of uncertainty" which cautions us from
simply tying our dreams and ambitions to "blind faith" and
"false hope".

Hope is Divine Inspiration. It is a cosmic energy which excites us
and spurs us on. Hope is our Star. It is the Guiding light which shines
upon us and brightens our way as we pursue the dreams and
ambitions which are such an integral part of our Divine Nature and
personal Destiny.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009
Facebook StumbleUpon Technorati Delicious squidoo Google Bookmark
Yahoo mister-wong blogmarks spurl BlinkList Furl

No comments: