Let This Be The Year You Finally Have Hope

Let this be the year you finally have hope, and let that begin with having hope in yourself.

I hope you believe in the choices that you make, and I hope you tackle them head-on, without timid hesitation. I know it can be scary to dive into unknown waters. I know you might be worried about a shark, or shallow waters, or some combination of the two. Uncharted territory can be frightening, but I’d dare say it’s scarier to never step foot into the water.

This year, I hope you let yourself take a deep dive.

I hope you recognize that you have the strength you need to keep treading water. I hope you realize that you know how to swim, too.

I hope you see that if your legs get tired, and if it feels as if you cannot breathe, you don’t have to sink—you can swim to shore. Or ask for a life vest. Or climb aboard your friend’s boat. And you can do all of that without any shame. I hope you see that acknowledging that your muscles ache and that your breath is getting ragged doesn’t mean that you’re a failure.

It doesn’t mean that you’ll never swim again, either.

It just means that you need a break and a little help, and that happens to all of us at one point or another. But the difference between this year and last is that this year, you realize that it’s okay to jump into the water.

Let this be the year you finally have hope—hope for yourself and hope for the ones and the world around you.

When the world seems as if it’s on fire at every turn, I want you to let the seeds of your hope flower and bloom.

Gone are the days when you listen to naysayers and the ones who delight in negativity—your belief in the goodness of humanity is stronger than their words of hate.

Gone are the days when you are fearful of stepping towards your dreams for fear of disappointment—now you know you have the courage to stand back up.

Gone are the days when you consider hope to be a childish, innocent, naive emotion of those who do not understand the world—now you know that hope is something to be worn with pride. It’s something to be celebrated, shared, and given to all who cross your path.

Let this be the year you realize that it’s finally okay to hold onto your hope.