Seven Facets on the Gem of Hope

     Earlier this week I was chatting a superficial, passing chat with a woman whose name I do not know. Springtime, fine weather and gardens, and the possibility of flowers and successful gardens. “We live in hope,” I said, thoughtlessly repeating a mantra that was ingrained in my speech pattern decades ago.
     My anonymous friend grinned broadly, her whole face lighting up. “My grandmother used to say that,” she said, “Oh! We used to laugh at that.” She proceeded to laugh, and I joined in as I continued on my way.
     The exchange triggered some thoughts about what hope means to me, and how it expresses in my life. Hope is defined as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” It is a state of looking forward and imagining something even better than current conditions.
     H appy: Hopeful anticipation does not cloak itself in misery. Misery is hopelessness. It is the very nature of hope to contain the seeds of joy.
     O ptimism: Hope describes circumstances getting better. When we hope, we are creating a state of happy possibility.
   P ositivity: Hope is for the positive outcome: the recovery from illness; the completion of the manuscript; the sought-after job offer. Hope cannot carry ill-wishes.
    E xpectation: Hope leans forward. Hope acknowledges the ever-changing conditions that underlie life, and hope conveys acceptance of change, and openness to the benefits that change can bring.
     F eelings: Hope lets us connect to feelings that are slightly beyond the Now. As we engage our ability to hope, we shift our emotions towards our goal. As we make that shift, we transmit to the Cosmos the way we want to be. Thus the Cosmos knows what to echo and reflect.
     U plift: The human experience is one of dimensions and directions. We share language about feeling *down* when we are unwell or unhappy. When we hope for something, we are naming that which will uplift us. We want to be raised up. We want our experience to be elevated.
    L ove: Many teachers name Love and Fear the only two emotions: all others being variations. Love and Hope are natural allies. Hope does not live in an atmosphere of fear. Fearfulness generates dread and withdrawal. Hope is open and loving. In fact each of these labels is a form of loving.
     We know happiness when we love ourselves and our lives and the people around us. We can be optimistic when we realize that our life-path is guided by the Cosmic Love which is the Source of All. When we reside in an assumption of love, we can remain positive in the face of challenge, knowing that all will be well. Engagement with love allows us to expect more love. When we are immersed in the early times of romantic love, we cannot even imagine that love will diminish. We expect increase and further depth, and we are filled with hope for the future. In hope we embody many feelings. We feel excited about the possibilities. We feel the joy of knowing our path has led us here on the way forward. We feel centred in knowing what we want (and for which we hope), we feel secure in the decisions that led to the Now.
     In this numerologically Seven year ** the Cosmos is offering each of us infinite routes to spiritual development.
     As we delve into our individual goals and dreams, it is through connecting to our hope that we can promote growth and move forward on the Path of Life.

** 2+0+1+4 = 7

     Jo Leath is a transition coach who has been supporting clients through change and growth since the 1980s.
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