When we talk about hope, what is the hope we talk about? Most people mistake hope for optimism because most people look for a brighter today, as well as a brighter tomorrow. But to look for a brighter today and tomorrow without leaving that behind which is dead, and pressing forward to the reality of living now, is optimism, which is an illusion, which does not bring forth a change in one's life, it only keeps a person tied to that which has kept them in bondage to abusive events.

We can have optimism that time brings about a change. Some call this hope, but change does not come upon one who have not prepared themselves to build upon the building blocks of that which they, through their experiences has taught themselves, nor allow them to enter in the door which open today, which is the true teacher. Time presents the opportunity for one to change their lives, but it does not change attitudes, or positions, this is the responsibility of the individual who want the change. So times presents the way, but the individual makes the change, and the change begins in mind, thus, one must walk beyond what they have learned yesterday in order to step into the truth of today.

It is the human mind which has retained the memory of the abuse, and has held the abused imprisoned in a trauma which can only find life within the cords of remembrance. It is the human mind which will not allow the abused to move on from yesterday. So it is the human mind which keeps the illusion of optimism in one's heart alive, hoping that a change is going to come. But the change never comes until one makes the move to put the past to rest; in the grave where it belongs. When this is done, then realistic hope finds entrance into one's being, situations, conditions, circumstances, and enviornment.

Illusionary hope finds one believing that tomorrow events will change; that tomorow everything will be alright. These are the ones who believe the illusion that by the very flow of time itself, there is a miraculous underpenning that will automatically make things better. This illusionary belief, however, is insensitive to the possibility of tragedy, and never takes into consideration that man's outer experiences are the externalization of his state of consciousness. Tomorrow things may not be alright. Tomorrow change is not always for the best, so optimism is a deception of the reality of the way things really are.

So what is hope, realistic hope? Realistic hope is the willingness to go forward regardless of the appearance; to step beyond the joy and pain of memories, because realistic hope is based in the Spirit and quality each man, woman, and child is given when entering the human realm. It is the determination of will to face the risk of failure, to move forward with the attitude of 'in spite of'. In spite of the fear; in spite of the pain; in spite of what happened yesterday; in spite of what will happen today, that which is the vision of hope in the individual is already a reality IF the individual moves to secure it in their life. Realistic hope is, therefore, a reality in the person as a power that drives them to bring into manifestation; to fulfill that which is hoped for in them, beyond that which has already been manifested. It is determining to face one's self in acknowledgement that you have determined, and will determine your destiny.

That POWER IS THE VERY LIFE WITHIN THE PERSON. Within that Life is all the power any person needs to bring forth the manifestation of their hopes. That power comes with the realization, in consciousness, that there is only one nature, the nature of Life. It comes when one realize that of all their procrastination of this truth, in the final analysis it is Life which has the final word of determination as to where they are in their state of mind. And in recognition of this truth, that it is truly upon the individual to place themselves, in the perfect flow of Life, so their hopes may come into being; or to continue only to snatch fragmented form of Life's reality.

It has always been the choice of the individual to dwell in the trauma's of yesterday; to continue to live in the trauma's of today because a person's choices are always who they really are, and how they really think. So the point presented here is that you are the consciousness of the Spirit of Life in you, thus your life style also; yet, in reality, it is the Spirit of Life which is the only Source of your consciousness; conscious aware and the Lifeforce which activates, then animates your will "to be or not to be," to continue to live in the past and not go forward, and to continue to live in today's situations, and under today's conditions. So you have an obligation to the Spirit of Life in you; therefore yourself, family, and thought of mind, to be wise in how and what you choose, because the end result is your thoughts will come to you whole, perfect, complete, and pure. It is the "LAW' of the Spirit of Life."