We're all guilty of being attached to something. For me, I'm attached to my computer. You might be attached to your TV, car or clothes.

I'm not just talking about material things. I'm also attached to my parents, friends and pets. You might be attached to your children, your job or your significant other. It's not wrong to be attached to these things. However, we must keep in mind that we could lose all the aforementioned items. Even though losing your television set is nowhere near as tragic as the death of a child, the harsh fact remains that few things in life are guaranteed. Let's be optimistic and talk about something that I know is eternally attachable, regardless of who you are. Hope.

Hope isn't something that you need to work for; it's a natural ability that's inside of your spirit. Just think about an obstacle in life that you were able to overcome. How did you do it? Hard work? Determination? Perseverance? Sort of. Those aspects are just the 'side effect' of your hope. If you couldn't imagine light at the end of the tunnel, why would you bother to change in the first place? You probably don't even remember having to think about having 'high hopes', and that's my point exactly. Your hope was strong because you felt it and you put your hope in action, not because you had to think about it.

Why do we hope? There's no prophecy etched in stone that things will change for the better. It's not like we can replace a beloved family member that has passed away. We can do everything in our power to help a situation but it keeps worsening. What's the point? Why hope?

Humans hope because we're fighters. We may not fight as well as we should; yet the majority of us still choose to fight. If we didn't fight against everything that exists to bring us down, we'd all fail. We fight not because we know things will get better but because we want them to. Hope is the reason we get through tragedies. Hope is the most powerful driving force behind all the good decisions we make for others and ourselves. Granted, we need many other things in our lives to be successful, but we would be nowhere without hope.

The next time you lose something important to you, whether it's your Playstation or your own mother, don't just 'have hope.' That would be silly advice, as I already know you have hope. Instead, use your hope and make the best decision possible.

© Sam Leonard
Life Channels Staff Writer
All Rights Reserved

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