Listening to Ellie Holcomb’s song, “We’ve Got This Hope,” I’m reflecting on what it means exactly to have hope. It’s not just another four-letter word. We shouldn’t just throw it around like confetti, saying that we “hope” for good things to come to us. It is not a fortuneteller, and it is not something that battles bad karma either. But enough about what hope isn’t; let’s talk about what it is.

As defined by a dictionary, hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” To me, hope is a concept that allows us to have faith in the future. If we have hope, we have a sense of ease that comes over us and makes us worry less about what is to come. Hope is a positive concept. It available to anyone who has a belief that better things will happen.

I think when we know that others have hope for us or that we share a similar hope with someone else, we have an even greater sense of it. Hope is a way to connect with others, to know that their expectations are like yours, and that other people want to live life and find exactly what you are looking for too. Hope requires being positive and optimistic. If you aren’t optimistic, you can’t possibly look forward to the future.

I think everyone has at least a little bit of hope in them. Maybe we’re all just searching for another person who has the same hope that we do. We can use our hopes to guide us to new endeavors or to lead us down the right path. We hope that we live up to expectations, and we hope for our dreams to come true. It’s certainly up to us to make this happen, but hope is always in the back of our minds, motivating us and giving us optimism when we need it.

Hope does not discriminate. Everyone can have hope no matter your background, social status, race, gender, or anything else that puts labels on us in this society. Hope is something for all of us to have for ourselves, but it is even more important that we spread hope to other people. When others are having a bad day or are going through something that they think nobody else will understand, it is as simple as someone telling them that they are hopeful that will cheer them up. I know that I have been lifted and encouraged by just hearing that someone else had a hope for me. It is our responsibility as human beings to build this hope in society even when things aren’t going our way.

It’s so easy to forget about hope when you are struggling. When you are tired, when you are lost, and when you are in pain are the best times to dig extra deep for hope. Do not be hopeless. There will never be a time where hope all is lost and nobody can help. I promise. No matter your situation, even if you cannot gather the tiniest bit of hope, hang in there. Reach out to others because they have hope for you. They will share it with you gladly if you ask. Pray about it. Talk to God. He has more hope than anything else in this entire world, and He is there to give you everything you need. Just remember that hope is optimistic, free for all, and never lost.