Whispering hope

My Mom recently returned from Australia with many little books like The Little Books of Hope, Little Books of Pleasure, of Friendship and of Love. I would like to share with you excerpts from The Little Books of Hope by Paul Wilson.

• While you breathe, you have hope.

When you no longer worry about the future, and no longer have regrets about the past, you exist purely in the moment.

If you concentrate on that moment, you instinctively know that as long as you have life, you have hope.

Enjoy the moment. Breathe easily. Relax.

• Hope heals.

One of the discoveries of modern medicines is that the more optimistic you are, the greater your chances of maintaining or improving health. Many prominent specialists insist that the greatest indicator of wellness and longevity is the simple belief that you will be well and will live a long time.

• Imagine the great times ahead.

Your subconscious has such power that whatever you can imagine, it will help you make a reality. Whatever you dream of, start it now.

Merely embarking on that course has a power and magic you may never have dreamed possible.

• See what no one else has made.

It is worth looking closely at anything not man-made. The curve of a mountain, the flow of a stream, or the endlessness of the heavens.

This will reveal not only the splendor of the creator, but the place and contentment of the reviewer.

It may also reveal that you are not alone in the world.

• The physical side of hope.

One of the often overlooked advantages of looking after your physical health – with regular exercise and healthy diet – is the way of enhancing your feelings about yourself and your future.

Look after your physical body and your future will take care of itself.

• Enjoy the first-time experience.

Try this simple exercise and the wonder of life will reveal itself.

Every sight you see, every sound you hear, every taste you taste, imagine you are experiencing it for the very first time. Or the last.

You can’t help but be encouraged by the result.

• Try the other path.

If you conclude that you’ve been heading down the wrong path in your journey through life, and despair because you’ve waited so long to change direction, consider this: A different path means a fresh start, with no baggage, and with the potential of something magical waiting for you – somewhere just around the next corner.

• Carry a notebook.

When you focus on growth being adventurous and enriching, as opposed to threatening, you can’t help but thrive.

The moment you decide to welcome change, and the untold good it can bring you discover that you always have something to look forward to.

• Do you see what they see?

The difference between a problem and an opportunity is attitude; losers see the problem, whereas winners work at seeing the opportunity.

Yes, they work at it.

Being able to see the opportunity rather than the problem sometimes takes persistence and discipline, but the remarks are vast.

The book also contains quotations from outstanding people. Here are some of my favorites:

• "What seems to us bitter trials are often blessings in disguise." – Oscar Wilde

• "It is never too late to be what you might have been." – George Elliot

• "Hope is the only good that is common to all men, those who have nothing else possess hope still." – Thales of Miletus

• "Be the change you want to see in the world." – Gandhi

• "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." –Helen Keller

I hope that these will bring hope and optimism to your day.

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Erratum: Tina Laureta teaches Orthodontics and not Health and Fitness at the Graduate School of Orthodontics. And she went to Cotabato for her summer vacation, not Tacloban. My apologies to Ms. Laureta.

(E-mail the author at babyjackster@hotmail.com)