Have the courage to pursue your own dreams， and never doubt your ability to meet whatever challenges come your way. I’ve seen people‘s amazing capacity to rise above their circumstances not only in Chinese orphanages but in the slums of Mumbai and the prisons of Romania. I recently spoke at a social welfare center in South Korea， where some of the residents were disabled and others were single mothers. The power of their spirits amazed me. I visited a prison in South Africa with concrete walls and rusted bars. The worst criminals were not allowed in our chapel service， but I could hear others outside， throughout the prison， singing along to the gospel music. It was as if the Holy Spirit had filled the entire population with God’s joy. They were captive on the outside but free on the inside because of their faith and their hope. Walking out of the prison gates that day， I felt that those inmates seemed freer than many of those outside the prison gates. You too can allow hope to live in your heart.
Remember that sadness does serve a purpose. It is perfectly natural to experience this emotion， but you should never let it dominate your thoughts day and night. You can control your response by turning to more positive thoughts and actions that lift your spirits.
Because I am a spiritual person， I look to my faith in sorrowful times. But （perhaps surprisingly） it is my training in accounting that offers a more pragmatic approach. If you say you are without hope， that means you think there is zero chance of anything good happening in your life ever again.
Zero？ That‘s pretty extreme， don’t you think？ The power of believing in better days is so indisputable that， to me， it seems far more probable that your days will change for the better. Hope， along with faith and love， is one of the pillars of spirituality. Whatever your beliefs， you should never be without it because everything good in life begins with it. If you didn‘t have hope， would you ever plan to start a family？ Without hope， would you ever try to learn something new？ Hope is the springboard for nearly every step we take， and my hope in writing this book is that you will find a better life， one without limits.
A passage in the Bible says， “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles； they will run and not grow weary， they will walk and not be faint.” The first time I heard this passage， I realized that I didn’t need arms and legs. Don‘t ever forget that God never gives up on you. Keep moving ahead because action creates momentum， which in turn creates unanticipated opportunities.
RIPPLES BECOME TIDES
People around the world were deeply saddened by the devastating 2009 earthquake in Haiti. Yet for all the tragedies that came with this massive disaster， the horrific circumstances also brought out people’s best qualities， as in the survivors who refused to surrender despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them.
Marie‘s son Emmanuel was believed to be among the dead buried under a building. The twenty-one-year-old tailor had been with his mother in her apartment when the earthquake hit. She escaped， but she could not find him afterward， their building now just a heap of rubble. Marie looked for her son at an emergency camp set up for people who’d lost their homes， but she could not find him among the other survivors. She waited， hoping he still might make his way there.
After several days， she went back through the chaos and the destruction to search for her son. Heavy machinery at work on the site made it difficult to hear， but at one point Marie thought she heard Emmanuel calling for her.
“At that moment，” she told a reporter， “I knew it was possible to save him.”
Marie let everyone know that her son had called to her from under the rubble， but no one was able to help her. But when international groups of rescue workers arrived， she was able to find an experienced team of engineers. She convinced them that her son was still alive. Using their equipment and knowledge， they cut through steel， concrete， and debris at exactly the spot where she‘d heard her son’s voice.
They kept digging until they uncovered Emmanuel‘s hand. He was reaching out to them. They continued until they freed his shoulder and they were able to pull him out. He had been buried for ten days. He was severely dehydrated， covered in dust， and very hungry， but he survived.
Sometimes all you will have is your belief that anything is possible， that miracles can happen. As it was for Marie， the world around you may be in chaos， but you should not give in to despair. Instead， believe that whatever you lack， God will provide！ That belief spurred Marie to action. Her actions brought her within reach of her son’s voice. It‘s not a stretch to recognize that Marie’s hope kept Emmanuel alive， is it？
Life may not be going well for you now， but as long as you are here， as long as you press forward， anything is possible.
LIVE WITH HOPE IN YOUR HEART
You may be skeptical that anything is possible by hanging on to hope. Or perhaps you have been brought down so low that finding the strength to crawl out of your despair seems impossible. There was a time when I felt exactly that way. I was absolutely convinced that my life would never be of value and that I would only be a burden to those I loved.
My parents were not prepared for a child without limbs when I was born， and as a result they were despondent. Who could blame them？ Every mother and father tries to envision the future for the children they bring into the world. My parents had diffi culty projecting what sort of future I would have， and as I grew older， so did I.
We all have at times seen our vision for our lives crash into a cruel reality like a speeding car into a brick wall. The particulars of your experience may be unique， but situations of despair are all too human. Teens often e-mail me stories of abuse and neglect ripping apart their families. Adults share stories in which drugs or alcohol or pornography have left them crippled. Some days it seems like half the people I talk to are dealing with cancer or some other life-threatening medical condition.
