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The inflation rate is hoped to be brought down in a couple of months—Finance Minister. India will put a man on moon in a decade---Space Research Centre-SHAR-Sriharikota Kashmir problem will be solved in due course—Politicians In future no body need to die by TSUNAMI with warning systems ably functioning—technicians. India will revive its supremacy in HOCKEY and even reclaim the Olympic gold medal—die hard optimists. “This time I will be able to claim the FRENCH OPEN, the one that is yet to be won”—ROGER FEDERER-TENNIS CHAMPION Above are only a few of examples out of countless hopes that are made by human race in spite of the failures happening on day to day basis with families, individuals, nations, communities and political parties hoping for the brighter future. The farmers are hoping for enough rain, students for getting laurels in the examination, workers dreaming to get promotion to higher ranks, hope of successful operation and transplant of heart, kidney etc.to their dear and near and so on. There are even cases where mothers hope for the return of their son killed in the war having seen his dead body and performed his last rites which can be termed as nothing short of fantasy. No doubt such kind of false hopes may be referred to a hope based entirely around a fantasy or an extremely unlikely outcome. Even amongst animals we have seen tiger chasing a deer with the hope of catching its prey and in turn the deer is also running equally fast with that hope of escape.

Hope is nothing but a belief in a positive outcome related to the events or circumstances in one’s life. Hope implies a certain amount of despair, wanting, wishing, suffering or perseverance-believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary. To wish for something with the expectation of the wish being fulfilled. Hope is also an emotional state of mind and different from optimism. Optimism is a positive state of mind that is obtained by deliberate thought pattern with out the emotional touch. But both hope and optimism may be based on unrealistic belief or even fantacy.Hope is having the reversing effect of pessimism. With all adverse conditions and repeated failures man continues with his earnest hope of seeing the success in the future. Most of the scientific findings and theories could be possible only after never ending failures equally matched by hopes of obtaining success. We have heard of the late CHRISTOPHER REEVE –actor as a superman had the misfortune of breaking his back bone while suffering a fall from the horse and had to spend the rest of his life on a wheel chair. But he never called it a day and even in that crippled condition worked his best to get a medical solution for that typical handicap in which he almost succeeded. That kind of hope in him is going to yield positive result to the benefit of such handicapped persons. He even declared before his death that once you chose HOPE, anything was possible. Here are a few more startling news about the power of HOPE that has yielded results beyond imagination. 1. This is the awesome story of MISS. NATALIE DU TOIT-a South African swimmer who was knocked down by a car while riding a motor cycle in February-2001. She lost her left leg below the knee even while she was dominating internationally in swimming even at the age of 17 years.

But the automobile couldn’t crush Natalie’s dreams. She not only pulled herself from that blow, she also started competing, unbelievably, with able bodied swimmers. Natalie participated in three events-200, 400, 800m freestyle-at the Hyderabad games. She was very particular during the Afro-Asian Games not to see her life told in a sentimental way. Wallowing in self- pity was the last thing in on Natalie’s mind. “I hate negative stories woven around me. I firmly believe that every thing in the world happens with a reason. Though the accident made me think “why me?” on a few occasions, I wish to carry on as a normal person,” she had said. Now the great MISS.NATALIE has qualified for the Beijing Olympics. By finishing fourth in the 10-km open water world championship, Natalie has booked a berth in the mega event. To day at the age of 24 she is HOPING endlessly for more achievements.

2. Cyclist Lance Armstrong was 6 times winner of the ever toughest Tour de France that demands stamina of physical and mental to cover up hill and down hill cycling of hundreds of miles. Subsequently he was afflicted with cancer of particular type from which he amazingly recovered after undergoing chemotherapy treatment. But the most amazing thing was again he could compete that race and regain the title.

3. South African Paralympics champion OSCAR PISTORIUS had his legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old because he was born with out fibula bones in his legs. The disabled 21 year old sprinter runs on specially adapted carbon fiber blades. His personal record with this handicap in running 400m is 46.46 seconds which incidentally a very good time even for athletes of able bodied. Now he is HOPING TO compete representing South Africa in the Beijing Olympics.

These are the words of great MAHATHMA GANDHI---“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean. If a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean doesn’t become dirty.” MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR---“if you lose hopes some how you lose the vitality that keeps life moving. You lose that courage to be, that quality, that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so still I have a dream.” We can confidently assert that every thing that is done in the world is done by HOPE only. The important thing is not that we can live on HOPE alone, but that life is not worth living with out that. We can even say that HOPE is a walking dream. It is also one of those things in life which you cannot do with out that. It is often said that any body entering the field of competitive sports with out hope of winning is already lost.

We have experienced that though our HOPES are not always realized we never cease from hoping after hoping. It may also be said that HOPE is having as much meaning to life as OXYGEN is to our lungs. Here are a few quotes from famous men. SAMUEL JOHNSON—“The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure but from HOPE to HOPE.” WINSTON CHURCHILL---“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” All human wisdom is summed up in 2 words-WAIT & HOPE.

BY J.PANCHAPAGESAN FLAT-11,130 GILL NAGAR EXTN STREET CHOOLAIMEDU CHENNAI PH-044 23744963 EMAIL id- jpanchapagesan@yahoo.co.in