Either we have hope within us or we don't. It is a dimension of the
soul and it is not essentially dependent on some particular
observation of the world.
It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart. It
transcends the world that is immediately experienced and is anchored
somewhere beyond its horizons.
HOPE in this deep and powerful sense is not the same as joy that
things are going well or willingness to invest in enterprises
that are obviously headed for early success, but rather an ability
to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands
a chance to succeed.
HOPE is definitely not the same as optimism. It is not the
conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that
something makes sense regardless of how it turns out. It is hope
above all which gives us the strength to live and continually try
new things.
Vaclav Havel