Have Hope! Part 1

In the film, Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne spoke to his friend, Red (Ellis Redding), "Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." That statement saved Andy's life and most probably his friend - Red's life. Irrespective of how a person gets into prison, the first thing that is lost in addition to freedom is hope. Will I ever make it through time to get out of this prison? For 19 years, hope sustained Andy that he can get out of the prison; even when the possible legal redress through a credible witness of his innocence was killed by the prison authorities, he continued to sustain hope and worked for a change in his situation.

You don't have to be in a physical building to have your freedom restricted like in a prison. There are many in virtual prisons either as a result of abuse, addiction, debts, failed marriage, mental health challenges, bankruptcy and social limitations. Their freedom might not be physically restricted but they are in a virtual prison imposed either by their minds or the minds of others around them. Hope is an essential attribute that fosters positive change and enables a person to achieve the seemingly impossible. Are you in a prison-like situation, hope is a good thing to have; this will motivate you to seek the strategies that will provide the change you desire and sustain you to achieve your purpose in life.

In the film, Shawshank Redemption, 3 people left the prison - Brooks Hatlen, Andy Dufresne and Red (Ellis Redding). Their survival outside prison was based on whether they had hope or not. Brooks was released on parole; he did not want to leave as he wasn't prepared for a change to life outside prison. He had to leave prison as was required by the authorities. To confirm the fear he had, Brooks couldn't cope with the change imposed on him, he committed suicide. Red described Brooks experience as a consequence of him being institutionalized, i.e. the prison experience affected his mentality to the extent that he couldn't function anywhere else other than in prison.

101 Ways to Be the C.H.A.N.G.E you want to see in your family, community and Nation. Change Digest Volume 2