Hope…it SPRINGs Eternal…

Is It Just ME, or do you, too, just love this time of year?

Now, I know not all of us are heading into Springtime, and I’m sorry for those of you who are not; although Autumn is magical, as well.

Today, March, 20, 2013, we will experience the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere. It is the time of year when night and day are nearly equal.  It corresponds to the centre of the sun crossing the celestial equator, heading southward.  In the southern hemisphere, it occurs 6 months later, as the northern hemisphere begins autumn.

That’s as much the astronomy as I can muster!

The start of Spring is so much more.  In ancient times, it signaled it was time to plant the crops; a widely believed explanation of the ever-mysterious Stonehenge.

Today – and I think we truly need this – Spring is a time when we begin to sense a feeling of renewal, a spirit of rebirth, starting over. We see buds forming on trees, we hear the chirping of birds at dawn telling us to get up and begin the day, ever hopeful it will be a good one.   Yes, we hope.

In the Judeo-Christian world, the beginning of Spring means the celebrations of Passover and Easter Sunday; both symbols of hope, possibility, and renewal of spirit and purpose.

It’ a busy time: winter clean-ups, landscaping, painting houses, planting flowers… it’s a very busy time.

So, why do we do these things?

Simple: we feel good!  Spring revives hope and with hope, there is possibility.  Possibility!  Anything can happen.  Everything is possible.

I love the very notion of having another shot and maybe, just maybe, doing a better job, getting better results, achieving higher goals. WE HOPE.

What is HOPE? Hope is a strong desire for something to be possible, a strong belief that an outcome will be attained without any true certainty that it will.  Hope is a form of trust.

OK! Let’s be honest hoping, wishing for something is great, but wishing – even really, really hard, doesn’t make it so.  So, what can we do to move hope into reality.  WE DECIDE.  WE CHOOSE.  Then, WE ACT.

Women of leadership are natural agents of hope:  they inspire, motivate, and make everything seem possible.  That’s the starting point.  From there, we need to get moving, we need to Do, to ACT, to BE.  Then and only then can something we hoped for yesterday become today’s activity and tomorrow’s reality.

Know what it is you are hoping for.  Decide if it’s important enough for you to pursue.  Plan “the plan”.  Move through it   Expect bumps in the road, see the forks-in-the-road ahead, allow yourself to pull-off the side of the road and regroup. 

Just don’t give up.  

Even more so, don’t steal hope from another.  Where doubt may be, encourage.  Help another believe that what they are hoping for it worth it and possible.

Sometimes leading another means pushing them a bit.  So, PUSH: Provide Unlimited Support and Help.

When necessary, PULL: Provide Unlimited Love and LISTEN.

HOPE does SPRING Eternal – and TODAY IS THE DAY!  

So, IS It Just Me, or do you, too, feel hopeful for all that is possible in your life?  Good, go get it!

I HOPE all you are wishing for will be yours!