Dear Jido,
I heard that hope is the essence of a Jew and I always try to have hope. So, I hope and hope, but a lot of times I get my hopes up and that leads me to feeling very down. My hopes create expectations and when those expectations aren’t met, I am frustrated. What should I do?
Signed,
Confused
Dear Confused,
Hope is the essence of a Jew – Yes!
I always try to have hope – Good. Keep it up!
So I hope and hope – Yes! Yes!
…and that leads me to feeling down. Hmmmmm…
First, understand that no one can tell you how to feel. If your feelings are genuine, you need to understand how to deal with them. Some things to consider are – were your expectations realistic? Did you put all the pieces in place to make your hopes realizable? Was what you were hoping for, in the end, what is really best for you?
How could you know? We can’t. Whether it’s – that job, that spouse, that house, that peace agreement. We trust that someday we will realize that what Hashem ultimately did for us WAS the best.
In the meantime, accept your feelings. Discuss them with close friends or family members. Thank Hashem for all the other blessings He has already given you. Focus on all of the positive things in your life and allow the feelings of frustration to pass.
We as Jews have been HOPE-ing for better times for 2,000 years. HOPE-fully those days are just around the corner – for all of us.
Jido