"Giving refuge in hope, an inspiration to move on" by Llorin

Giving refuge in hope, an inspiration to move on In the past few years, the Philippines has witnessed firsthand the destruction left by n umerous typhoons, has been rattled by who knows how many earthquakes, has learned virtual ly how to swim in the floodwater filled with unknown objects and has watched with bated bre ath as mesmerizing trails of lava devour countless homes. But here we are. We somehow still smile and shout "Mabuhay!" while we stand up again....and again... and again. How do we do it? Better yet, why do we do it? Why do we keep on striving forward when it seems like ther e is a conveyer belt underneath our feet going in the opposite direction?

Such a profound question, yet the answer is still simple and will always be until the e nd of time. It's hope. Yes, H-O-P-E. A four letter word that built empires, started conquests, e nded wars, and so much more. Hope is the donkey's mind, telling it to keep following the carr ot swinging overhead even though it is always just a little out of reach. Because it knows that sooner or later he will be good enough to reach it, to savor and enjoy it. However, seeing as h ope is such a priceless commodity, the problem now is where to find it. Where can one draw hope from not only in the bad times, but also the good?

There are simple ways to gain hope. It's a matter of drawing it from your surrounding s. And sometimes, it could just be you sharing hope yourself. And that is what we will mainly discuss in this article. Here are some of the ways of how you, whatever status you are in at th e moment, can share hope to the rest of the world.

Share. Sometimes when you share your thoughts and experiences, you are already sh aring your hopes and dreams. When two people bond and share with each other, they are sim ply baring their souls to each other. And this trust is an astonishing thing that most would trea sure and learn from. They take refuge in the fact that they are not alone in hoping for this and

that gives them the strength they need. After all, two people are often better than one. And hu mans are beings that need the reassurance of one another. It's just how we are. When people l earn to take advantage of this to foster the sharing of emotions and hope blooms as a result of this initiative.

Humor. Sometimes before people can start hoping, they need to forget for a while. It's simil ar to why people usually need space after heartbreak. They need time to gather the pieces and look for what's left after the entire ordeal. Laughter is the best way to momentarily forget a l oss, a moment of peace. The pause that is needed to see that the path has not yet ended and a way to light up the darkness brought by tragedy. It can be said that it is better to make someo ne cry out of laughter instead of sadness. Because after a person cries from laughter, a feeling of contentment always follows and the burden on one's chest will be momentarily lifted, givi ng one the time to inhale some of the precious air necessary in one's life. And this is hope. Ho pe is the air that allows us to think, to see, to feel, to act and most of all, to love. When one ho pes, he can start functioning.

Go with it. Whenever a problem comes your way, don't just break down and cry. Thi nk of it as a challenge, a way to improve yourself and handle it in the best possible way you c an. Keep in mind that somewhere around the world, a person is thinking, "there are people w orse off but still manage to have hope", and you know that that person is you. Just keep on thi nking that unconsciously, you are a source of inspiration to someone. You are a reason why h e or she is struggling against cancer, or bullying, or whatever it is he is going through. Know in your heart that you share a bond with another person and do your best to uphold your end.

An example is the Yolanda victims and victims of other calamities. As they move on from th ese tragedies, they also give other people hope when they show that they can and will move t owards a brighter future.

Do it. Show that it can be done and that it is never impossible. When one achieves so mething that may seem impossible in another's eyes, hope grows in that person's heart. That p erson sees that his dream is not impossible and if he strove hard enough, he too can feel the a mazing feeling of accomplishment in the future. In times of calamities or dark periods, you w ill have to do something striking to divert the attention away from the bad things. Something t hat most usually won't do. You yourself have to take the initiative and show them where to be gin. One way of doing this maybe attributed to sacrifices. There is something in a sacrifice th at just draws people in. May it be the love needed for one to be made, or the agony of willingl y giving up something that one cannot replace, sacrifices are rare and beautiful things that mo st people can connect to. One cannot be selfish when he sees that he is not the only one with l osses. It is inate in every human to comfort one another in times of need and utilizing that to give hope will not hurt anyone, as long as you are prepared to take the initiative. Just give and do not expect anything in return.

Look into the brighter side of life. Cherish the small things and be grateful. Show t o others that all is not lost, that something is still there. These simple actions spread the light of hope and slowly eases away the darkness of our world. Entice those pessimistic people to t he light side with your bright thoughts and smiles. Yes, this might sound creepy but a good d ose of optimism never hurt anyone.

You, dear reader, are not limited to these ways that we have listed down. There are s o many other ways to shower the sparkly glitters of hope to the people around you. You just h ave to find them on your own and be brave enough to do it. After all, hope is not just a four-le tter word. It is something that you must struggle hard to find.