we have heard the phrases "hope for the best" and "have faith." i always believed hope and faith to be the same thing. i've been known to be wrong before. many times. but, as most people, there comes a time in life when your mettle is tested. these past couple of years have been that time for me. it may seem that all i am doing is harping on the negative thoughts, feelings, and situations. however, these obstacles have shown me how strong i could really be. how much of a better person i can and have become since a few years back.
what i've learned is that hope is this intangible idea that wishes for things to turn out your way. it's not a bad thing, but the thing with hope is ... there's a chance for failure. it's a gamble. there's that little nagging thought in the back of your head that says, "well, you can hope for the best, but hoping isn't always going to get you the best." you see, with hope comes that small chance that no matter how much you hope to be out of your situation, there's a small chance it won't go your way. that little bit of uncertainty with a pinch of selfishness, add a dash of fear, and you get hope. there's an underlying fear that your desires will remain unfulfilled, but hoping, for your sake, that things go your way, and that your desire be fulfilled.
the difference between hope and faith is your mindset. hope is knowing that there's a small chance for failure, but faith is knowing and accepting that come what may, it is for the best. essentially, what faith is, is that release from pressure, from desire, from ego, and putting your trust into something greater than your own self. faith is not a word normally used, because god forbid, people link it to religion. the suggestive connotation has this society choosing to live on hope - an unstable idea confounded on fear.
faith is based on confidence. a confident mindset will allow oneself to trust. that trust that whatever happens, it is for the greater good. if it means struggling in the present to achieve a more stable future, then so be it. if it means waiting for an outcome of any kind, filling each day with positive thoughts and actions and trusting the process. as hard as it may be to let go of the reins of control, have faith. if life experience has twisted your sense of trust, have faith. it will work out. be confident and trust the process.
given everything since my time at UCI, i had to let myself learn to hope. hope was my escape from everything. you see, i wasn't strong enough to have faith just yet. i had to pull myself out of the hole first. i had to focus on me, focus on improving and becoming a better person. yes, it was a little selfish. yes, i wasn't ready to give up any or all control of myself...i didn't even know who i was. but hope got me through. don't get me wrong, i'm thankful, but once the light cleared, i realized i had a long way to go. you see, with each hurdle that you cannot cross, your hopes are crushed so many times that something inside you dies. hanging on to that hope is similar to hanging on to a dream unfulfilled. hope could only get me so far. hope was fleeting. without a strong sense of self, self-confidence, self-esteem, or the ability to trust - myself or others - i could only get so far in life. you build yourself back up, and open yourself up to vulnerability - you begin to open yourself up to acceptance. accepting yourself, first and foremost, then slowly accepting your situation, your faults, and all that comes with being human. acceptance is the first step to faith. accepting allows you to commit to your desires and to your beliefs without fear, making it that much easier to believe that everything will be as it should be. there's no better way to define my journey than this sentence i read somewhere ... "hope may provide the path, but faith is our compass to travel down that path." you see, if i did not meet hope on my journey, i would not have been able to commit to myself to leading the best life i could. faith, whether it be spiritual, religious, or just the belief that "everything is going to be okay" will truly help develop a strong, confident sense of self that will allow you to face challenges head on, without any fear. so come what may, here's to faith lighting up your path as much as it does mine!
faith is based on confidence. a confident mindset will allow oneself to trust. that trust that whatever happens, it is for the greater good. if it means struggling in the present to achieve a more stable future, then so be it. if it means waiting for an outcome of any kind, filling each day with positive thoughts and actions and trusting the process. as hard as it may be to let go of the reins of control, have faith. if life experience has twisted your sense of trust, have faith. it will work out. be confident and trust the process.
given everything since my time at UCI, i had to let myself learn to hope. hope was my escape from everything. you see, i wasn't strong enough to have faith just yet. i had to pull myself out of the hole first. i had to focus on me, focus on improving and becoming a better person. yes, it was a little selfish. yes, i wasn't ready to give up any or all control of myself...i didn't even know who i was. but hope got me through. don't get me wrong, i'm thankful, but once the light cleared, i realized i had a long way to go. you see, with each hurdle that you cannot cross, your hopes are crushed so many times that something inside you dies. hanging on to that hope is similar to hanging on to a dream unfulfilled. hope could only get me so far. hope was fleeting. without a strong sense of self, self-confidence, self-esteem, or the ability to trust - myself or others - i could only get so far in life. you build yourself back up, and open yourself up to vulnerability - you begin to open yourself up to acceptance. accepting yourself, first and foremost, then slowly accepting your situation, your faults, and all that comes with being human. acceptance is the first step to faith. accepting allows you to commit to your desires and to your beliefs without fear, making it that much easier to believe that everything will be as it should be. there's no better way to define my journey than this sentence i read somewhere ... "hope may provide the path, but faith is our compass to travel down that path." you see, if i did not meet hope on my journey, i would not have been able to commit to myself to leading the best life i could. faith, whether it be spiritual, religious, or just the belief that "everything is going to be okay" will truly help develop a strong, confident sense of self that will allow you to face challenges head on, without any fear. so come what may, here's to faith lighting up your path as much as it does mine!
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