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Definitions of Spirituality: Hope
When hope is lost, everything is lost. Do you agree? Have you ever stopped to think about hope? I didn't really think about it a lot until I was in my master's program. I was trying to form my own definition of spirituality. I couldn't omit hope, and so I really needed to dive in and think about it. Hope, faith, and happiness are part of a holistic lifestyle and awareness spirituality. Hope is a verb (as in to hope for something) and hope is also a noun (something to hold close to your heart). Hope has the power to pull us through difficult times. Hope is often described with 'light' metaphors — a ray, a beam, a glimmer of hope; the break in the clouds; the light at the end of the dark tunnel. It is often discovered in unexpected places. Certainly you can think of your own experiences when hope pulled you through. This is certainly why hope is a part of the definition of spirituality.
One definition of spirituality is Hope. Prayer can help you meet this spiritual need of Hope.
Is hope inside each of us, or is it a learned attitude? Some attitudes support a more hopeful personality. People who tend to have more hope practice it more. They lean on hope more than hopelessness. They tend to be more optimistic, tolerate delays better and are more accepting of situations allowing them to just unfold as they may. They tend to like the idea of not knowing the outcome-they enjoy the element of surprise in life. They are also determined and persistent. They also tend to have a belief in a higher power. They are enthusiastic They are energetic Guess what? These traits that describe a happy person. And this is why hope is part of the definitions of spirituality.
Hope and Faith: Do you have what it takes?
Happiness is a choice. Click here or on the image to learn more.
Do you act hopeless? I hope not, but you may not even realize it. You may be feeling hopeless if you... Are Pessimistic. Your motto is "Hope for the best, but expect the worst." The more likely outcome for you is the 'worst outcome.' You are easily overcome by gloom and doom, despair and defeatism. You are easily frustrated. You lack courage to continue against adversity. You are quickly discouraged. Okay, admit it-you expect the worst. We all have times when we feel hopeless. If these traits describe you on MOST days, then you may need a 'Hope Overhaul!' That's right-there is hope for you.
Serenity Prayer God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. This was my high school graduating class motto back in 1977. I'm not sure if most of had really thought seriously about what this might really mean. Based on the conversations with old friends, we sure do now. I think we have the seeds of hope in us from the beginning, but life experience and maturity help to really mold us. Hope in Despair It is easy to have hope when things are going along smoothly for us. Even so, some find things to be gloomy about, but most of us feel pretty good about things and have hope about the future. Then, things happen that test our hope and strength. Those who feel hopeful in general see and feel a glimmer of hope even in despair. If you can breathe, there is hope. In times of despair, hope is sometimes all there is to hold onto. For those with little hope, feelings of emptiness and loneliness become overwhelming. Hope is free-why not indulge? Hope and Faith; Definitions of SpiritualityHave faith in yourself, faith in others and faith in GodPlant trees in hopes of enjoying their fruits and shade. Have faith in yourself and work hard with sincere endeavor. Have confidence that great things will come your way. Enjoy the journey! This will help you to endure the ups and downs. Broaden your definition of success.
Hope and Faith Hope is the result of faith. Hope is an emotion, and faith carries a divinely inspired and informed form of positive belief. Hope is typically contrasted with despair, but despair may also refer to a crisis of faith. Consider a time when things just seemed in the hopper for you. Maybe you or someone you loved is facing a health crisis or there is a death. We can't help but question faith. It is in this questioning that real growth can happen-real spiritual growth, so don't ignore it. Live it, experience it and see the value in the tough times. Hope and Religion Hope carries with it the belief that there is some spiritual truth. In fact, in some religions, despair itself is considered a sin. Hope is one of the three theological virtues (hope, faith and charity) in the Catholic theology. These are spiritual gifts of God. In some faiths and religions of the world, hope plays a very important role. Buddhists and Muslims for instance, believe strongly in the concepts of free will and hope. In these cases, hope is not a physical emotion. It is a spiritual grace. This is certainly a distinction between hope and optimism or positive thinking. Hope can be so much more than what the term might imply. False Hope False hope refers to the kind of hope that is entirely based on fantasy or an extremely unlikely outcome. The question arises: what is fantasy and what is an unlikely outcome? In God, all things are possible. If so, is there such a thing as false hope? Perhaps what we should strive for is hope with the belief that anything is possible, while accepting and acknowledging reality. Let's take the example of someone seriously ill undergoing treatment. The family acknowledges the possibility of death. There is hope of a recovery, the belief that a recovery can happen and the awareness that death is also possible. 
Hope in Action Hope can be passive such as when we wish or say a prayer. Hope can also be active such as hope in the midst of a plan or idea. This is especially the case when our plan or idea goes against popular belief, and a real persistance, personal strength and desire is needed to acomplish the plan. Three Hope-Actions Imagine a prisoner of war being held captive. Prisoner #1 never gives up the hope that he will escape. He plans and persists. He prays for strength to make it happen. Prisoner #2 simply wishes and prays for freedom. The plan isn't set, but he sees himself walking to freedom. He has hope that God will answer his prayers, but he isn't quite sure how it will happen. Both Prisoner #1 and #2 have hope and use their hope for their greater good. Prisoner #3 slumps in the corner feeling powerless and hopeless. He has given up all hope of freedom. 
"I believe if we want this world to stop going to hell, if we really want to do something about the darkness-then you have to light the light. There is no other way to banish darkness. You can sit in a dark room and fuss and complain about it, but all you have to do is turn on a light. God has placed us all in a dark room, hoping that we will have sense enough to turn the light on and not yell and scream and panic over the darkness, because we know where the light is-we know who the light is! And we hve Him. The tragedy of this age will be if those who have the light do not let it shine. Christians of all denominations have literally put the light under a bushel."
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