Passion drove such men as Leonardo da Vinci to paint the Mona Lisa.  That same desire compelled men like the Wright brothers to create an airplane so they could fly.  Passion drove Susan B. Anthony to organize the suffragettes to bring voting rights to the women of America.  Martin Luther King's fervor vaporized racial barriers for all people in the United States.

(White-winged pelicans fly thousands of miles to their nesting grounds in Canada to rear their young.)

Another hundred examples of men and women following their passions could be given.  We all benefited from their courage, their faith and their hope.

But what drives most people to make this a better world?    I contend that "hope" causes the greatest energy within a human being to persevere, to endure great hardship and to triumph when all else fails.

It reminds me of the story of the three guys who died in a car crash. When they arrived at heaven's gate, St. Peter asked each of them what they hoped folks would say at their funerals as they looked down into the casket:

The first man said, "I hope they mentioned that I was a good doctor, husband and father."

The second man said, "I think they will say that I was a good family man, hard worker at the office and that I played a great game of tennis."

The third man said smiling, "Look!  He's still moving!"

Ah, yes, we hope to live forever.

If you remember Pandora's box, the last treasure of "hope" lay at the bottom.  It created the foundation for all the other surprises in Pandora's box. 

"Hope" drives each of us to work for a better day, a stunning victory and a personal triumph.  Those without hope quickly give up, pass on and fail to triumph.

In Dante's Divine Comedy, he spoke about moving through your life until you reached your mid-years where you arrive at a dark woods.  Which path will you choose? What do you contemplate for your remaining years?

Are you familiar with Christmas wreaths?  During the dark days of winter before the rebirth of the sun on December 21st, ancient people removed their wheels from their carts.  They stashed them against their houses while they covered them with pine branches, bulbs and other colorful objects.  Within the darkness of the December days, they "hoped" for the sun to shine longer and brighter.

While winter days mean slowing down, you enjoy the chance to rekindle your "hope" with wreaths, ribbons and lights.  We face dark days and the hope for brighter days.

During that time, you may plant a seed within your mind to bring thought to form.  You may inject an idea into the universal "mind" to germinate throughout the winter, which in turn may birth in the spring.  Make a stand in your mind.

It's been said that difficulties break some men or women and make others great.  That case could be made for the late Nelson Mandela who suffered 27 years of imprisonment for his actions against apartheid.  While in prison, he birthed a seed of freedom and kept it burning within him for 27 years.  At the end, he became president of the country that imprisoned him. He died recently as a world leader in the fight for human rights.

History shows us thousands of men and women who maintained hope against all odds.

How can you rekindle your hope?

Choose an understanding that the universe stands with you.  Life's energy moves through every cell in your body. 

Rekindle your imagination and resourcefulness toward your dreams.

Open to possibilities and take a leap of faith toward your intended goals.

Know that your expectations coupled with actions create results.

Finally, look up the parable of "The Cape."  It features a kid who tied a cape around his neck so he could jump off buildings and fly.  Whether you engage a cape or your mind, it's all up to you how far you can fly. Ask the Wright brothers!

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