Hope is one of the gifts of the spirit listed in the New Testament in Galations 5. Without faith, hope and charity, we would all become discouraged, disappointed and disillusioned with life.
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3.
Romans 15:13 New International Version (NIV)
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Carol: Nice! Can anyone find hope?
Karyn: Yes….if we ask, seek, search and desire to have it…we can definitely find at least one tiny ray of hope even when all feels lost.
Carol: What is the best way to find hope if you have never had or known it?
Is hope something someone can learn?
Karyn: To begin to discover “a ray of hope” is to begin to discipline one’s own thoughts. The more we seek to focus on positive outcomes, the more hope can grow. When we let our thoughts wander into forbidden worrisome thinking, we actually begin subconsciously planning and plotting for our own unhappy outcomes. Worry is an energy as equally powerful (in the negative) as faith and hope are (in the positive). Rather than give our thoughts room to cultivate seeds of doubt, despair and fear, we must quickly weed those sprigs right out (in the moment we detect them) and plant the seeds of hope, faith, courage, bravery and foresight. We can become the co-creators, with our faith in God, of our own outcomes, positive or negative. It all starts when we make the choice to foster a doubt or a fear or to make the choice to fan the flame of hope.
Carol: In all the areas in which we can lose hope in our lives, what would you then say is the single and best way to find it?
Karyn: Recount all the wonderful accomplishments and successes you have already achieved. I often ask my clients to make a list of all the obstacles that they have already overcome. When I feel myself losing hope, I remind myself that God has led me through many personal battles, seen me through to many private victories and “would not lead me this far to abandon me now!” I also love to read the stories of my ancestors and the plights they plodded through and all the great things they accomplished. In short, I think we all deserve “A Hero’s Welcome” when times feel dark or discouraging!
Carol: Is there one particular area of life that you have seen with your clients or around the world where hope is most needed or sought?
Karyn: My clients are mostly women in search of recreating their vision of what happiness looks like, feels like and acts like. We all had a fairy tale vision of what our very own “happily-ever-afters” were going to show up like….
I have come to realize that many people place their hope in things of a material nature. Oftentimes I hear people saying that they will be happier when they have purchased a bigger home, a nicer car, or gone on a better vacation. I have found that hope is a very personal thing. Paul said, “I have learned to be content in whatsoever circumstance I am in…” This doesn’t mean that we cast aside all ambition for growth or personal development. It means that we find “joy in the journey,” that we are grateful for all that we presently have been blessed with!
Carol: Is all hope centered in “having more”?
Karyn: Being a “hope-filled, faith-filled” person is to claim JOY in this very moment. It is not based on the hope or the pleasure of acquiring more possessions.
Like with the prisoners, that I spoke and sang to….they didn’t come up to me and express their hopes for a bigger house, a better vehicle, a more fun vacation. What they expressed was the hope to be a more loyal father, a better husband, a kinder son, a truer friend. Becoming our best self is what we want to inspire our readers to feel from this article. To obtain hope that we can arise victorious after feeling like we have fallen short, overcoming our personal trials by being truer to ourselves and our Maker! What better thing could we possibly hope for?
Carol: What do you hope for?
Karyn: I hope to continue to become a better person. I hope to demonstrate greater patience today than I did yesterday! I hope to overcome my trivial and superficial inadequacies by becoming a kinder, gentler, more loving person.
I hope for a loyal heart, an enduring spirit, a peaceful nature, a contented soul. When I am true to myself, I find that everything else falls into place. I hope to be used as an instrument in God’s hands to ignite hope, faith, courage, bravery in the hearts of those who feel forsaken, abandoned, rejected and forlorn.
I hope to inspire both men and women in knowing that after all, we don’t take anything from this life after our turn on earth is over. All that we take is all that we have developed, cultivated and created ourselves to BE.
Many people are searching for hope….a reason to keep on bettering themselves and living joyfully-ever-after. Hope is a mindset that once obtained, can inspire those imprisoned by self-doubt to break their own shackles and to reclaim their divine potential.
