Hope is bad. Maybe.

"Hang in there, it'll be okay." Those are words we often hear. When we turn to others with our burdens and worries, it's common to hear them speak words of optimism and positivity in an effort to cheer us up. So, we fight through the pain, believing it will get better;

And then it doesn't.

In fact, sometimes it gets worse. In addition to the direness of the situation we may be facing, the disappointment of it all makes it a hundred times harder. It's like the universe decided to play a sick joke on us, and the disappointment is the punchline. We place our hopes in the sky, only to plummet to the ground. It's all hope's fault.

Right?

Often times, we as humans try to find something to blame for all of our struggles. I like to think that it's a rather peculiar trait, actually. We're always trying to make sense of the world around us, finding reasons for the things and situations we don't know enough about, and if we can't find a logical explanation? We'll blame something, anyway. The question is, when we do end up finding something or someone to blame, how does it affect those around us and, more importantly, ourselves?

We could blame those close to us; lash out at the ones we hold dear. We could blame our enemies. We could blame fate. We could blame a God; scream at the skies in anger to a deity of some sort. We could blame the whole world, even. From the stars to trees to the birds to the oceans, damn the whole universe for putting us in such a helpless position, with seemingly no way out.

Some of us even find it logical to blame ourselves.

I belong to that "some of us". You see, I've always had a rather firm mindset, one that's toxic and harmful and abusive towards myself. It goes a little something like this: I let myself be hopeful. I let my expectations go up, so it's all on me. Everything I feel, every problem I have, it's my fault. I let this happen, I am to blame.

It's not a good way to think, and if you, dear reader, feel similarly- well, I'm not gonna say it gets better. That would be ironic. I will, however, commend you. You've come a long way, that's awesome. I'm proud of you.

Nonetheless, here's a hot take- maybe it isn't our fault. Maybe it's no one's fault. Perhaps that's just the way it works. No one has it easy, though of course some may have it "better" than others (millionaire vs villager, for example), but we all have our own tribulations. Such is life, my friend.

Now, the big argument: Hope is BAD. But is it, really? Is hope truly evil, or have just grown tired of looking for things to blame? Have we gotten to a point whereby we've found it convenient to place the blame on the very thing keeping us going?

That's right, "the very thing keeping us going". Feel free to argue, but isn't that why we're all here? We go on with our day to day lives, with a goal. An aspiration- something we want, and we live for that. Even in the smallest of circumstances, and even if we hate it, hope exists in the crevices of our lives, fueling our drive to stay.

Parents work to provide for their children, in hopes that they are well-fed, educated, healthy, and safe. Students try their hardest in school, in hopes of being able to have a stable future and a solid income. Dog-owners go on dog walks everyday, in hopes that their canine gets the exercise they need to stay fit and healthy. Even miniscule things- we open doors in hopes of getting into a room. We brush our teeth in hopes of having good dental health. We go to the fridge in hopes of getting something to eat (though often times, unfortunately, there's nothing there). See? Love it or hate it, hope keeps the world turning.

The parents may hate their job, the students may be burnt out, dog-owners may be tired, but they all push forward, anyway. Why?

Hope. Hope is why.

So, as heartbreaking as it may seem at times, we need to have hope. No matter how dull the future may seem, or how helpless we feel, we have to keep looking at the light at the end of the tunnel. Is hope bad? Sure, it can feel like it. We're all subject to feel whatever we feel about this four letter word. However, just imagine how remarkable it would feel to have all our dreams come true. To aim for the skies and finally get there. If it feels like that hasn't happened for you yet, keep dreaming. If it has, treasure it, and dream on, anyway.

People often say that the sky's the limit. I urge you to go beyond that.

We can't tell what the future holds, and it can be scary. It becomes even scarier when we think about everything that can go wrong. It hinders us from ever believing that things might actually go right, so we stop hoping. Instead, we stay in a constant state of suffering, placing the blame on anything we can, including ourselves, for being in such an unfavorable situation. Oh, and with the rising pandemic? One might wonder if it's even possible to stay hopeful in such hopeless times. However, dreams can come true, and if the hopes of that happening aren't enough to keep us going, at least hold on to the curiosity of it all. That longing, aching desire to be okay? hold out for long enough to see if it happens.

Stay hopeful, everyone. It may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but really, at the end of the day?

Hope is all we have.