Hope Is The Driving Force And Inspiration Of Desire

Try to think of a time when you were intensely hopeful. Was your hope connected with other spiritual variables? Chances are, motivation was one of those variables. When someone or something gives you hope, you can see how this hope turns into something very powerful. It is a source of energy from which you can draw strength to get what you want. It is a source of inspiration of desire.

In other words, in this context, hope acts as something that prepares you to take action. It’s like the way a fire heats up anything that comes close. So now we ask ourselves the following. How is it that hope makes this possible? Well, be sure to keep reading and discover the answer to this question.

What is hope?

When you think of hope, your description will probably intuitively contain positive ideas. In fact, we all associate hope with positive values. It is something that helps us change and makes us better as human beings. However, it’s not just that. Hope also helps us grow and improve our quality of life. In addition, it reinforces those kinds of actions that make us feel good.

A source of inspiration of desire

In other words, hope motivates us to use the means necessary to realize the object of our desire. It is that initial feeling of expectation that is then fed by the idea or feeling that you have achieved something positive. What does all this mean then? It means that hope stimulates us. At the same time, this is the result of the actions we take to make what we wish for. Hope is therefore the source of inspiration for desire.

Let’s look at an example. Suppose you experience a sense of hope when you see an offer for a job you are interested in. That is what stimulates and motivates you. Yet it doesn’t end there. You also feel hopeful when you prepare your curriculum vitae and later during the job interview. In other words, you also need hope to achieve what you want. When you finally get the job (the result), that hopeful and excited feeling still remains.

After all, hope is partly born of trust, of imagining the possibility that you will get what you want. It delivers results when you move towards a goal. It’s there when you sign a contract that includes your commitment not to give up at the first sign of a problem, real or imaginary, expected or unexpected.

The Ingredients of Hope

As you have seen, hope is motivating and an inspiration of desire. It is an answer and a consequence at the same time. However, hope is not just that. Hope contains many more elements. Some have to do with emotions, most of which are positive. That is why hope is linked with happiness, joy and also the will to live.

On the other hand, we also associate hope with more cognitive processes, such as our thoughts and beliefs. Things like the future and the appreciation of the small things and the relationship with your loved ones fit into this category. Some other examples are self-confidence, confidence and hope in your goals and in your dreams and being consistent.

If we also take into account the idea that we react to hope, then you see that there are also behavioral elements.  This is about how you behave when something excites and motivates you to achieve a specific goal.

The effect of hope

Everything we’ve discussed so far boils down to one key idea. That idea is the importance of hope as a motivating element to grow. When you are excited and hopeful about something, you are better able to confront the obstacles that may come your way. Hope is the source of inspiration for desire. The desire keeps you moving and prevents you from feeling paralyzed or losing energy. In other words, hope is something that gives strength.

This is how we are able to move forward despite uncertainty. It doesn’t matter if we are sure that we will achieve our goals. Of course, you also need to find a balance, just like in many other areas of your life. Setting yourself unattainable goals will only waste your time and make you feel worse.

Hope and setting achievable goals

We want to explain this in more detail. Suppose I like painting. Until now, however, I haven’t spent much time on it or taken any specific training. If I decide right now to give up my job and live off my paintings, I will surely fail and go bankrupt.

This will make me feel awful and less likely to pursue other projects that make me feel excited. This is the other side of hope: disappointment or disillusionment. This is a far cry from encouraging growth. Disenchantment makes us more conservative. The chance is therefore smaller that we will act.

That doesn’t mean I’ll stop dreaming, hoping, and being motivated to become a better person. However, I’ll make sure I’m not exaggerating. I will prioritize one specific desire over more important activities that take time. Hope I will use as a motive and as a source of inspiration of desire.

Does this sound logical? Look for goals that interest you. This is important. However, make sure they are achievable. Otherwise they will just be a source of constant frustration. If you set reasonable goals, you will get positive results. You will also feel more rather than less hopeful.

Featured images courtesy of Marc Olivier Jodoin, Aleksandr Ledogorov and Crak Tibbs.