Hope insulates us against stress. It inspires us to overcome difficulties. It reduces the song of one's burden - the excess baggage of surplus, negative emotions that we carry during tough times. It is not just that - when the going gets tough, the tough 'get going.' Everyone does that - in one way, or the other - the analogy being of foresight, not courage. Hope stretches beyond the present circumstance. It holds the mirror to the future. It enables us to perceive the impending with animated optimism, even when one does not expect things to be perfect. Nothing is perfect - what one hopes for, in the midst of chaos, is optimism for things to slowly, but steadily work for us.

Hope is not only a physical, emotional and functional sense of the future; it also embodies, in more ways than one, a purpose. It holds enormous meaning for us to believe in our dreams, vision, goals and also oneself. It involves a state of perseverance, in the wake of setbacks. In a purely logical sense, hope is the modification of our innumerable thought processes. It holds the power to self-belief, self-motivation and self-direction. It not only prods us to weather life's countless storms; it also spurs us to keep at it and keep things going. Hope may not work sometimes, more so when we throw in the towel easily. It may, of course, emerge 'out of the blue' - at the drop of a positive spark ignited in the 'distance.'

All of us have our favourite parallel for hope. For some, the first form of hope emanates on a daily basis. There is hope in the air. This offers us a sense of intention to achieve our daily goals. It also urges us to wake up at first light, each day, and live life with simple daily pleasures, not riches. For some, hope is a goal-oriented pursuit - to meeting objectives, clearing hurdles with flair and drive, or climbing several notches on the career ladder. It is overcoming challenges. It is regular work too that needs to be finished to take home rewards in close proximity to the future. This may encompass instant, or deferred satisfaction - where a good thing emerges like raindrops falling on the head, or where one has to wait for the right time, or right moment, to arrive, as it were.

For some of us, there is yet another form - long-term hope. This is life nourishing. It sustains and helps us to understand that, notwithstanding troubles, or health and wealth issues, life will always offer us significance and purpose at every step of our journey. Long-term hope relates and connects itself to our mindful soul. It arms us with a vibrant feeling that instils in us the wholesome power to effect, or bring about change over a period of time. It takes a long time for a coconut tree to grow and bear fruit. In like manner, long-term hope gives us the resolve to work hard and achieve goals - one thing at a time.

Hope is not limited only to hopeful expectations for the better. There is also a downside to its overall chemistry. This is called false hope - two sides of the same denomination. This is also reason why some of us cling to hope as something that will happen - or, use it as an instrument of denial. Interestingly though, a strange quirk may seize a sudden hopeful element in our mind. This leads to a turnaround. You know its name - extraordinary hope, followed by powerful hope. It inspires us all to surmount every abyss, or gloom.

The inference is obvious. We just need to move ahead and discover ourselves. Else, we will only continue to stay where we are. It's only when we travel through a given, or not given, situation gracefully, without displaying any protracted silhouette of bitterness, ill-feeling, or acrimony, can we grow, shine and paint a picture of our true selves - a portrait that radiates. We have such people around us - they emote a happy, contended feeling. They are people who are just as human as we are - fallible. They have their moments of annoyance and umbrage too. Yet, they have overcome, or risen above situations, or circumstances. They have stopped wallowing in self-pity. They have moved on to another plane, with conscious effort. They have accepted the fact that everything is fleeting, also impermanent. They have resolved to be what they are. In so doing, they have emerged without being stuck in the swamp. They are like birds - they prefer to fly with liberty.

You'd call them the 'risen up' people who transcend and echo blessings. They have managed to consciously grow up. Life for them is, indeed, the best thing that's ever happened. They are victors; not victims. They have learned and developed the ability to go forward with each situation with good hope. They have worked on their rough edges - large and small. They are like polished granite, or emblematic gemstone, that has become silky-smooth and alluring to 'stroke' with their own hands.

Research avers that we all use only a small part of our inherent talents. In other words, we barely tap our true potential in a life-time. Imagine this - if only we were to employ all of our inner resources, we would not only astound ourselves, we would probably outdo the element of what it means to be just human, a mere mortal 'being.' Yet, how strange things are - even when we know. We'd, therefore, make everything that seems impossible possible. This is our 'companion' that helps us beat, reduce, or surmount problems. They relate to our spirit of enterprise grounded in inner peace and inner achievement. The best part is - we are all endowed with such internal resources. It's up to us to say, 'carpe diem,' and move anything stalling our minds.

Nidamboor is a wellness physician, independent researcher and author