Optimism

I am almost positive that if you looked up the word "Optimist" in the dictionary, my face would be right next to the description.
"The tendency to expect the best and see the best in all things."

"Hopefulness, Confidence"

"The doctrine of the ultimate triumph of good over evil."

This is my approach to every day I face. No matter what, there is this stubborn, happy little voice telling me that the things I go through every day are temporary. I remember someone told me once that I live in a world of rainbows and unicorns. I expect things to be okay, because they always have been. Expectation is a dangerous little thing though. If those expectations don't manifest into something real and tangible, it crushes a little bit of my spirit. 

These past few months I've noticed something. I have bags under my eyes. I have never had bags under my eyes before. I've found multiple grey hairs. I look, and I feel old. I've been running as fast as I  possibly can run to catch up to whatever is  just around the next corner. I keep telling myself,  "just another step, one more. Keep going."

 I blame this on my father. In the 6th grade I joined the cross country team because my dad was a long distance runner. I hated it,but I didn't quit. My dad told me that running was nothing but a mental sport. "Your mind will give out before you body does." And I've carried that with me in every aspect of my life. 

Here's the problem; I've lost my hope. It fell out of my pocket while I was running on to the next bigger and better thing. You can only hope for something so many times before the thing you hope for becomes a deep rotten, root of bitterness. 

This is a candid, real subject to approach in blog form I realize. But I feel like there are so many people in this world that have just given up because their hope has been quenched. I suppose I want to reach out to those around me and assure you that I am in the same boat, but I'm making a commitment to hold onto that hope like it was my last breath of life. I will NEVER let go of that optimistic spirit the Lord blessed me with. I will never ALLOW my hope to be stolen. I pray that you don't either.