Jacey Verdicchio - A Children's Author

In two recent conversations, the people I was talking to told me they weren’t “getting their hopes up” about specific situations.  In both cases, I had to ask, “Why not?”

We use that common phrase to avoid disappointment.  If we only commit halfway, we play it safe because if we don’t experience whatever outcome we weren’t getting out hopes up for, we don’t really lose anything.  We can always say, “I didn’t really expect to get the job anyway,” or, “At least I tried and went for it.”  We don’t have to deal with the emotional let down of fully expecting a favorable outcome and being wrong.

My question is, why not approach these situations with confidence and excited anticipation?  Is the disappointment really so unbearable that we have to outline every opportunity with pessimism?

Often, I will be disappointed.  In those cases, I can honestly say, “I’m glad I tried and went for it” because not only did I go through the motions of trying, but I dedicated my mental and emotional energy to a positive outcome as well.

The people who have the greatest triumphs also take the biggest risks.  I’m not talking about risky investments in the stock market, but the daily emotional risks that most of us spend our lives avoiding.  People whose character traits and accomplishments we admire are often those who risked being ridiculed and rejected, and often were.  Moses, Christopher Columbus, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr. are a few I have recently read about, and you can probably think of a handful more right off the top of your head.

You don’t have to have the grand aspirations of Martin Luther King, Jr. to take important risks.  In my opinion, conquering fear and taking action, regardless of the outcome, is a huge step forward.  When we move beyond where we feel capable and safe, we afford ourselves a tremendous opportunity to trust God and ask Him to direct our steps.  Instead of letting fear tempt you to take halfhearted action and play it safe, get your hopes up!