April 3, 2001, a friend of mine, Chad Hymas, was out feeding the elk on his ranch. As he was lifting a 2000 lb bale of hay with a forklift, he received a call from his wife. She excitedly told Chad that their son was taking his first steps. Chad anxious to get home and not miss this special moment, ignored the fact that the fluids in the forklift were dangerously low.
As a result, Chad never made it home. The hydraulics failed, bringing the bale of hay crashing down on Chad. This left him a quadriplegic. His story is amazing; within a few years he had set a world record, and he now travels all over the country earning an incredible living, inspiring others with his courage and sharing how he overcame his challenges.
What made it possible for Chad to overcome this adversity?
Take someone like Lousie Russo who, one moment was standing at the counter of a North York sandwich shop, waiting for an order for her daughter Krista. Who in the next moment, was struck by a rifle bullet that shattered her spine, leaving her in a wheel chair for the rest of her life.
Louise is a mother of three she will never walk again, yet she launched, “Louise Russo Youth Award.” It is an award that will be given out to five young people who try to curb violence in their schools and communities.
One of the most powerful stories I ever read was “Left to Tell,” the story of Immaculee’ Ilibagiza who with seven other women survived in a tiny bathroom during the Rwanda genocide. Screams of horror filled their ears for 91 days as friends and family members were killed.
What gave Immaculee the courage to survive, forgive and inspire thousands with her story? How? What? Why?
There are literally thousands of stories of people who have overcome the adversities life has dealt them.
What made it possible for these three individuals and thousands more to overcome adversity, depression, low self esteem, lack of confidence and a multitude of other human ailments?…a simple four letter word, HOPE.
The Miracle of Hope
When we feel hope of a better tomorrow we work harder today.
When we feel hope for a brighter future we dream a little bigger.
When we feel hope for our children we encourage their dreams.
When we feel hope for forgiveness we forgive others.
When we feel hope of acceptance we smile at strangers.
When we feel hope that our needs will be met we give to charity.
When we have hope for peace, we defend the rights of others.
When we feel hope we pick ourselves up brush off the dirt and conquer our fears.
When we feel hope in God’s love we love freely.
When we feel hope we live.
If hope is so valuable, so powerful, so magical, wouldn’t it serve us well to find more of it? So how do we fill our hearts and minds with hope? Where do we get this life giving, life changing power?
Hope, like faith, “cometh by hearing the word;” if you are looking for hope, courage, faith or a reason to go on, help yourself to daily hearty doses of inspiring quotes and stories. The scriptures are my favorite source for stories of hope.
Just like we thrive when eat nourishing food and take vitamins, so does our hope when we expose ourselves to a steady diet of inspiring stories. Don’t take my word for it; experiment for yourself. Visit here daily. Listen to books on tape that will build your self-esteem and confidence.
Like most things in life, hope is within our reach if only we are willing to put in the time to cultivate it.
Today’s Quotes:
“The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”—Allan K. Chalmers
“If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.”—Martin Luther King, JR.
“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge — myth is more potent than history — dreams are more powerful than facts — hope always triumphs over experience — laughter is the cure for grief — love is stronger than death.”—Robert Fulghum
“To eat bread without hope is still slowly to starve to death.”—Pearl S. Buck
“Love comes to those who still hope even though they’ve been disappointed, to those who still believe even though they’ve been betrayed, to those who still love even though they’ve been hurt before.”
“Hope is not a dream, but a way of making dreams become a reality.”—author unknown
“Hope never abandons you; you abandon it.”—George Weinberg
“When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God.”—Charles L Allen
I post new articles everyday so bookmark this page and come back tomorrow for another kick to get you off your rear and doing what you came to this planet to do. I am dedicated to assisting you on your journey to discover and live your “Life On Purpose”. Get my favorite quotes.
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If you are struggling or your hope meter is extra low, feel free to email me and ask a question.
Copyright © 2007 Becca Levie. All Rights Reserved “Joy comes in finding and living your life on purpose.”—Becca Levie