Never Lose Hope.

On Friday, I saw the new Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire.  I have not read the book yet.  I'm currently on the eighth chapter of the first one, but I thought the movie was fantastic!  If you have seen it, let me know what you think. 

The movie laid the foundation for my weekend that ended up revolving around the word, Hope.  The Oxford Dictionary defines Hope as "a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen," but I think it is much more than that.  Hope is not only a feeling, but knowing and strongly believing that despite your situation, things will improve. 

In Catching Fire, Katniss has  become a symbol of hope for all of the districts.   Snow, the president of the Capitol doesn't like that, in fear that this hope will incite a rebellion.  I'm going to take this into bibical terms for a second.  Bear with me. 

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Let's say, President Snow is the Devil.  He wants everyone to be left in the dark, not realizing that they could have a better life if they decided leave their current lives behind and move to a different Kingdom.  He will do anything he can to keep his people where they are, even if that means making their lives miserable, filling them with horrible things like addiction and depression.  Snow would probably just murder more people in order to scare them into doing what he wants, but I'm trying to relate this to real life here. 

I talk to too many people who have lost hope.  Who feel like life is not worth living anymore because of what they have gone through or what they are currently going through.  Who feel like nothing will ever change because it doesn't seem like anything ever goes right for them. 

Situations don't change automatically.  It takes a lot of work and if you aren't willing to put in the effort and make some sacrifices, I think its unlikely that positive changes will take place in your life.  

I really doubt I would be who I am or where I am today if certain things, that might have seemed like the end of the world at the time, didn't happen.  But the fact is, I got through it and you can too.  

Never lose hope.  Nothing lasts forever, situations included.  

P.S.  If you ever need anyone to talk to about anything, I am here for all of you.