To a Hopeful 2016!

Happy New Years Eve,

It is the last day of 2015 and whether you’ve had a great year, a terrible one, or something betwixt the two; we all feel hope for 2016.

That’s what I wish for all of you, my imaginary friends, a 2016 filled with hope.

There’s nothing more powerful than hope combined with determination. Sometimes it hurts, but when it’s properly fulfilled it’s the greatest feeling.

It’s not easy to be hopeful, it opens you up to the pain of failure, but it makes your world a better place.

Work towards fulfilling your dreams, work towards helping others fulfil theirs. That’s what hope should be. Together we can make this crazy, messed up world a better place.

Borrowed from the New Yorker.
Borrowed from the New Yorker.

There’s a weird psychological effect that happens to people. You’re sitting there in front of your TV and miraculously have a few hours to yourself. You think, “I could watch a movie, but that’s like 2 hours…” Sometimes you watch the movie but many times you decide to watch a few episodes of a TV show. Suddenly you’ve watched 6 hours of shows.

Why does this happen? Two reasons that I can see the first is size. A show is 22 minutes or 42 minutes long. That’s nothing compared to 1.5 hours or 3 for some movies. It’s easier to do something small than commit to something large. The second has to do with familiarity, we probably know about the show and know it’s structure better than a movie.

When I tell you to work towards hope and a hopeful world. I’m not telling you to watch the Extended Edition of Lord of the Rings, I’m asking you to watch a few episodes of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. (Metaphorically… Although it is a great show)

The small gestures of hope, a kind or encouraging word, help immensely. Look for the good and don’t be afraid to feel sadness. It’s only in feeling it that we can get through it.

I’m not curing cancer by writing a fun adventure story, I’m not saving the world by making a pretty book, and I’m certainly not feeding the hungry with this blog, but if I can make one person smile, think, or see that there’s beauty in the world, then I’ve succeeded.

So, my Imaginary Friends, with 2015 at an end, I thank you for the hope you’ve brought into my life.

 

May you have a hopeful 2016,

Éric