HOPE
Captured by the artistry of Mitchell Royel, this moment now unfolds through the enchanting melodies of "Who Am I to Say" by Hope—a luminous composition that weaves emotion and elegance into every note.
There’s something I want to talk with you about today. Not at you—but with you. Because hope isn’t something we experience in isolation. It’s relational. It’s the quiet conversation we have with ourselves and each other when everything feels uncertain.
We live in a time that asks a lot of us. The world is complex. Our inner worlds are complex. And somewhere in the middle of all that complexity, we’re trying to figure out what’s possible, what’s worth believing in, what’s worth moving toward.
Here’s what I know: hope isn’t about denying reality. It’s not about toxic positivity or pretending that hard things aren’t hard. Hope is something much more grounded than that. It’s a practice. It’s a choice we make—sometimes moment by moment—to stay open to possibility even when we can’t see the whole path ahead.
We’re Allowed to Want Things
One of the most radical acts we can do is to admit what we actually want. Not what we think we should want. Not what looks good on Instagram or fits the narrative we’ve been told about ourselves. But what we genuinely, deeply desire.
When we do this—when we get honest about our longings—we’re already practicing hope. We’re saying: “I believe my desires matter. I believe my life can be shaped by what I care about.”
This is where hope begins. Not in some distant future. But right here, in the willingness to acknowledge what lights us up.
The Courage in Uncertainty
We talk a lot about certainty as if it’s the goal. But what if uncertainty is actually where our power lives? What if not knowing exactly how things will unfold is the space where we get to choose who we want to be?
We can’t control outcomes. We never could. But we can control our intention. We can control how we show up. We can control whether we’re willing to try, to learn, to adjust, to keep going even when the path isn’t clear.
That’s the kind of hope I’m interested in. The kind that doesn’t require guarantees. The kind that says: “I don’t know how this will work out, and I’m going to move forward anyway because the alternative—giving up on myself—costs too much.”
We’re in This Together
Here’s something I want you to remember: you’re not alone in this. Whatever you’re hoping for, whatever you’re working toward, whatever feels impossible right now—there are others in the same space. We’re all trying to figure it out. We’re all learning how to hope in our own way.
And that matters. Because hope is contagious. When we see someone else believing in themselves, it gives us permission to believe in ourselves too. When we witness someone else moving toward their desires despite fear, it shows us what’s possible.
So let’s be that for each other. Let’s be the ones who say yes to possibility. Let’s be the ones who keep showing up. Let’s be the ones who believe that our lives can be shaped by our choices, our values, and our willingness to stay open.
Your Next Move
I want to leave you with this: What is one thing you’re hoping for right now? Not someday. Not when conditions are perfect. But right now, in this season of your life.
And what’s one small way you could move toward it this week? Not a grand gesture. Just something real. Something that says to yourself: “I believe in this. I believe in me.”
That’s hope in action. That’s us, together, choosing to believe in what’s possible.
The world needs what you have to offer. It needs your hope. It needs your willingness to keep going. And it needs you to know that you’re not doing this alone.
-Mitchell & Ryder (of Gospel Glamour)