4 Things You Need to Do If You HOPE For a Cure
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
One of my favorite things is watching people give. I love that as soon as I mention that I have Tourette Syndrome to another person with it, I am instantly pulled aside so we can have a heartfelt chat. It can be very hard, but I simply love seeing how much people with it are able to give, even if the only way they feel they can is by listening.
Because that’s a big thing.
It gives a sense of connection, like we aren’t alone. And it makes us realize we are worthy of someone’s time.
Connection is a necessary part of being human. I write often about the benefits that come from connection, like surviving rough days or taking ownership of your life. Sometimes these labels we have help us connect with others who have a huge impact on our lives. Or with people that we impact in a large way.
People are important, mostly because they give me hope.
This probably sounds crazy, especially if you watch the news. It’s so full of all the terrifying things that people do to others. All of the hurt and pain that goes on in the world.
The interesting thing is that it isn’t the full story. You never get the full account of what is going on. As Mr. Rogers once said,
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
They are everywhere. Behind the scenes of the news stories. Or even happen to be in the public library when you happen to start ticcing up a storm. They are the people you go to church with. They are your neighbors.
All of them doing good things and bringing hope.
Hope has been on my mind a lot lately. It’s a pretty powerful concept. My boss Megan worded it quite well when she said, “Hope is optimism with action.”
When we hope for something, our actions show it. We make choices as if what we hope for is an actual possibility. It is something we work towards, and sometimes even trust that it will actually happen.
The more you trust the other party involved, whether it is another person, yourself or an organization, the more confident you are in your hope. The more confident you are, the more you work towards that hope.
“I hope I make the team.”
“I hope I get the raise/promotion/job.”
“I hope she gets better.”
Any one of these requires action on your part, or you wouldn’t dare even hope. If you want to make the team, you practice. If you want the job, you apply and work for the skills to get it. Even with a sick loved one, you take them to the doctor, bring them soup, etc.
So what do you hope for?
I know several people that hope for a cure for Tourette Syndrome. I am fairly certain all the specifics will be different, there are several things about it that they hope for. They hope the tics go away. They hope the judgement stops. They hope to be normal.
So how do we work for that? How do we work for something that seems so far out of our control? Especially for people who can’t even control what they do half the time?
Habits
“We become what we repeatedly do.” ― Sean Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
How do you spend your days? What do you do with your time? That says a lot about what you hope for.
I recently asked on social media what people hope for. I got a lot of different responses, from being surrounded by puppies, not getting sick during spring break and gluten free donuts falling from the sky, to love and peace and a fulfilling life.
While some of these are more possible than others (I’m not anticipating donuts falling from the sky anytime soon, and she admitted to that being more of a wish than a hope), they are possible.
Best of all, they are all things that people are working actively for. I know these people and how they live their lives.
Those that hope for love are some of the most loving people I know, spending time giving to others and increasing the amount of love in the world.
Those wanting to bring about change are in college and learning skills and experiences needed to influence others.
Even those not wanting to get sick over spring break are taking care of themselves, taking medication, getting enough sleep, etc.
They spend their time and create habits that lead to the very thing they hope for.
Do your habits match your hope?
Outlook
“Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it.” ― Irving Berlin
So often with Tourette Syndrome, we see the things we can’t do because our tics get in the way.
At least, we see things we think we can’t do. My friend and mentor Richie Norton has said, “Don’t get discouraged, get creative.”
This has become my new mantra. Life can be incredibly frustrating and difficult at times. I want to do all the things, but only have so much time. It’s especially frustrating when I have to take longer because something didn’t work right.
Multiple times.
But I keep doing.
I still hope for things. I still want certain outcomes. I just have to learn not to put a time limit on those things. I refuse to give up on my hope, and my hope keeps me going. It keeps me doing.
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that do not work. This coming from the man who patented over a thousand inventions.
He viewed things differently. He didn’t give up after failure, he saw something more. This gave him hope to move forward.
Be prepared for failure. Be prepared to move forward anyway.
Call it optimism. Call it hope. Call it excitement. Call it stubborn tenacity. Whatever it is that keeps you going, you need it to see the world differently if you want something different in your life.
You can’t control what happens to you. But you can control how you see it and how you react to it.
You get what you look for.
People
“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” ― Tehyi Hsieh
As I mentioned before, people just give me so much hope. When you look for the good in people, you are sure to find it.
They are by no means perfect, but every person has that good in them and have the capability to touch and change your life. Just as you have the power to completely change the life of someone else.
On a similar vein, the more you invest in people, the more they invest in you. give them your time, and they (often) give it right back. Similar to you and me, most people just want to be noticed and loved. This is a basic human need.
When you provide someone else with hope, they in turn do the same.
While it is true that there are people who simply take what they can get without giving, these are not the people you want around you consistently. Just like investing in the stock market, sometimes you find winners, and sometimes you lose money, but that doesn’t mean you keep it there. Keep your relationships healthy.
Always be willing to give and to invest, but you have no commitment or obligation to stay around people who make you lose that hope in your goals.
No man is an island, as they saying goes. It is because of another person that you are alive today (thank your mom). It is because of another person you have books to read, music to listen to and movies to watch. Another person made the clothes you are wearing.
Whatever your hope may be, someone will play a big part in that. You might be able to do it on your own, but it might not be as good. Let others bring you hope and inspire you along your journey.
Education
“No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come.” ― Victor Hugo
You are a unique being with a combination of experiences only you have had. No one can think quite like you do. Even better, no one can change the way you think, except for you.
You have sole ownership of your mind and what comes out of it- as well as what goes into it.
We are often held back from acting on our ideas because we don’t know how to implement it. This doesn’t mean let the idea go. It simply means that you need to learn how.
Your idea is powerful and can make a difference in the world. We need it. So figure out a way to get it out there.
Buy a book.
Hire a mentor.
Go to college.
How you learn isn’t important. Just that you learn.
Once you learn, you then have a responsibility to use that education for others, no matter what you learned. Use it as a doctor to find a cure (if that is what you chose to study). Use it to teach others. Use it to serve and love others.
There are a lot of problems in society caused by a lot of gaps in understanding. Teach yourself, then teach others. Bridge that gap and it makes the world a better place.
You may not become world famous. We can’t all be Beyonce.
That doesn’t mean you won’t have an impact. That doesn’t mean you won’t change the world. You already have changed the world because you are in it. Put that to good use.
Conclusion
We all hope for something. There is something each person wants and is striving for. We need to cultivate our habits, our outlook, our relationships with people and our education to get closer to that hope becoming a reality.
Without that hope, what reason do we have to get out of bed in the morning?
If you can hope for nothing else, hope for a direction and purpose in your life. It is possible to find as we take steps towards that desire. Remember, hope is optimism with action.
It isn’t something that just falls into our laps. If we start taking steps towards it, it gets closer. It gets more attainable. Keep taking those steps.
A cure for whatever ails you is closer than you think. A cure for hate. A cure for ignorance. A cure for Tourette Syndrome. A cure for financial burdens.
Get moving!
Call to Action
Want to change the world? It doesn’t matter how big or small your hope. Start with you. Get my Free Guide Control Your Story (←Click Here and I’ll send it to you) to figure out your strengths and how you can make a change.
