Hope and wishful thinking. We tend to think they are the same thing, just in varying degrees. Actually, they are quite different and if we confuse them eventually we’ll just get stuck.
Wishful thinking is ‘out there’ somewhere. It feels nice (also read stirring, heroic or awesome) to contemplate things we wish were different. But it’s too far, too big, too generalised for us to know the next step to take. Like ‘I want to change the world…’
Hope, on the other hand, is more tangible, specific and usually much closer to home. Yes, it would be a stretch to get there, and requires real thought and action. But we can see clearly what would need to change. And we know out part in achieving it, or at least have a sense where to start.
What’s your hope?
And what are you going to do about it?