Writers can be quietly optimistic amidst their seasons of doubt. It is that hope of success that helps make the daily slog a little easier.

I reflected on hope by finding a few inspirational quotes:

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.
― Desmond Tutu

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
― Emily Dickinson

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
― Thich Nhat Hanh

Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering ‘it will be happier’…
― Alfred Tennyson

The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.
― Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

“Where there’s life, there’s hope.”
― Theocritus (c.270 BC)

Despite the beauty of these words and sentiment, in my mind, they pale by comparison with these words:

For you:
The Lord is all you have, and so in him you put your hope. There is nothing that God cannot do. You will live secure and full of hope; God will protect you and give you rest. Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. His power at work in you can do far more than you dare ask or imagine.

God says:
Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go. I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for.

Adapted from Lamentations 3:24; Luke 1:37; Job 11:18; Romans 12:12; Ephesians 3:20; Joshua 1:9; Jeremiah 29:11

Therefore, hope. But hope not in your own success. Place hope in the belief that your obedience to God’s calling will bring him glory and honor in all that you do.