Great hopes make great men

Background

Whilst going through the contents of my very old hard-disk, I stumbled upon this article that I had written around 17 years ago (yes!) during uni days. From what I recall, our English language professor came up with a challenge stating whoever wrote an article and got it published in a local newspaper or magazine will get an 'A', without having to sit for the final exam or attend rest of the classes during the semester. This was an offer too good to miss; well, at least that's what I had thought . Fast forward, I wrote an inspirational piece based on Thomas Fuller's quote 'Great hopes make great men'. It was published in a local newspaper (The Nation) and I did manage to get an 'A', but had to attend all the classes, as well as sit for the exam :). Turned out he just wanted to bring out the best in the students.

Current thoughts

If I were to write something today on the same topic, I would probably improvise a bit, structure a few areas a bit differently and make it more crisp. However, I feel the thought process and flow of ideas captured 17 years ago is still very relevant. Today, I dedicate this article to all of my contacts on LinkedIn and beyond, and to those who might bump into it via social sharing. To anyone who needs to hear all or parts of the contents of this piece, and for whatever reason, I wish you hope and strength in the days to come!

The actual article

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We, human beings, are very reliant creatures. We all have a dependency disease, that is, we need help in some form or the other to help us get through our days. We all depend on things; it could be other people, it could be instant of time, it could be an opportunity, which we could make use of. However, there is one wonderful source that all humans could get their hands on to. And that too, is not far from us but it dwells in ourselves- we it Hope.?

Hope is one such igniting tool we all possess, it is our treasure. It triggers in us, the will to go on, and on and finally takes us to our deathbed. But in the process, it refines, enhances, and elevates us to greater ranks. The greater the hope, the greater is the impression on a person. And history speaks of a million such examples where it was nothing but hope that changed an individual's life and transformed a pauper, a down-and-out fellow into a wealthy and affluent man.

Hope is therefore a fuel, which never exhausts if one can learn to develop it in his personality. Brainy and witty people always know that hopelessness is a venom, which can kill an individual's strength in a matter of seconds. So no matter how harsh the storm of life's journey gets, they cling on to this very gem called hope, and swim through the mud that holds for them immense adversity to finally reach their destiny successfully. Thus, hope is an essential ingredient of a man's success. Putting it in another way, hope is a mother that gives birth to great men.

The character of an individual is sky-rocketed by hope. It creates will-power in a man, which can take an individual to great heights of success and this very fact is cemented by the famous saying "where there is a will, there is a way".

Hope is a clever man's weapon, the use of which at the right time can prove to be the only companion of a man who is lost in the wilderness and the mockery of this world when the going gets tough. Hope makes him gaze through the crystals of future and reassures him in times of misfortune that he surely can, once again, stand up on his very own feet.

Great hopes make great men and great men know that the hope will serve them as a harbor in the tempest, as rainfall in the drought and as a beacon in darker days. Hope begets life for a dying man, and as a result, the liveliness he gains from it begets more hope that he will need in the future.

Thus, it is this very art which enables a man to derive life and freshness in time of pain and then use this time of rejuvenation to build more hope in the heart for the upcoming challenging days. Therefore, hope is indeed inexhaustible if a man can learn to develop it in his personality and make it perpetual.

Seeing the other side of the picture, hopelessness is like a yawning abyss that is ever-ready to devour the weak people who let it creep in their veins. It not only shatters their confidence tremendously but also kills their will-power and leaves them empty handed. Such individuals feel cut off from their surroundings and with time, bridging the gap between them and future hope becomes impossible. Darker days dawn upon them, and they wish for the slightest shimmer of guiding light.

Thus, it is crystal clear that on the one hand while hopelessness brings forth hardship, hope on the other is the stairway for peaceful and successful life. It is very true that great men never let go of faith and hope, for that is why they are great.

HASSAAN IHTASHAM

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