It’s only my opinion, but I think the word “hope” has to be the most misused word in our common language.  The dictionary definitions of it make pretty clear that hope is a combination of desire for something to take place in the future and a confident expectation that it will come to pass.  But, when most people use it, it means almost the opposite.

For example, I see this phrase often on message boards regarding dieting and transformation: “I hope I can do this, but I’ve tried and failed four times now so I’m afraid I’ll drop out again.” That is much more a wish than a hope, isn’t it? 

So, what’s the big deal about misusing hope? Well, hope is a valuable, absolutely necessary quality that transformation champions have. I’m not talking about naive overconfidence, or mere wishful thinking, but the true hope that comes from gathering enough information that you are confident that the system you select will work for you. I’m talking about the hope that comes from making significant and accurate preparations for the transformation so that you leave little to guess or chance as you get ready to go. And I’m talking about gathering a support system of others that will help you to maintain a confident expectation that you can do this, and that you will truly be transformed at the end of the transformation challenge.

As you can see, I’m talking about hope as an active mindset. One that comes from having done everything you need to do in order to keep it going. Anyone can have wishful thinking with a bit of enthusiasm. That’s the mindset you often see when someone’s first post is something like “Woo hoo, here we go!” And they haven’t even read enough about the program to know how to take their photos, make their measurements, or even how to eat and exercise during the coming weeks. That kind of attitude, though they may call it hope, is in reality just some enthusiastic wishful thinking that usually has a half life of about 10 days.

To make this the transformation of your life, you’ve got to have hope. And you WILL have it if you do your homework, invest in creating a support network, and  faithfully do what you know you need to do. Don’t put it off. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,  but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs, Ch. 29.

God bless!