The difference between hope and optimism... How I see it. Optimism looks at the circumstances, at what is going on around us, and desires a change in them. Optimism isn't really linked to our emotions or inner being, it's more a head thing, thought processes we go through. It can be a series of phrases that we say to make it look like we are in control of what's going on ... but we're not! Hope on the other hand, is a reliance upon Someone greater than ourselves, a strength we don't have within but one we receive with faith. Hope acknowledges our limitations while at the same time stepping into an unlimited potential and supply of all we need. Don't get me wrong, optimism is always better than pessimism. It's always more beneficial to look positively than negatively at circumstances. We all hope for the same things ... peace, safety, health, love ... qualities that cannot be bought. So where do we find this hope, this inner strength and anchor for our lives? It can only come from the One who is more than we could ever be, our Creator, God. This is not a religious experience, it's a life experience. An anchor for the soul. A place of peace in the middle of a storm. Let hope be the anchor for you soul and make today your masterpiece.
Cheers,
Andrew McLennan
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