We are often told to be hopeful; we are rarely told what hope actually is. It turns out, hope is nothing more than a fancy word for expectation. When wellness gurus, psychotherapists, politicians, journalists, and religious leaders tell you to keep hope alive, they are simply telling you to continue to expect things from others. But why? Why should we expect to receive things from people who, for the most part, are completely opposed to helping their neighbors? Why should we expect anything of anyone? Expectations ruin relationships. If you expect your lover to cook for you everyday, eventually they will grow tired of you and seek love elsewhere. If you expect your children to do exactly what you say at all times no matter what, they will grow to hate you and rebel against everything you have to say, even if it makes sense. If you expect your boss to give you a raise for Christmas, he will give you a lump of coal and pink slip instead. If you expect your prayers to be answered then people will laugh at you. If you expect your wish to be granted then people will call you spoiled or selfish. Political movements are often based on hope, hope that a better tomorrow will occur someday, somehow, somewhere over the rainbow...But the hope is never fulfilled, the dream is never accomplished and the belief in miracles is never legitimized. Many people were hopeful that Joe Biden would be the next FDR, but his policies are so far to the right of FDR, and always have been by the way, that such a hope is simply laughable. Many hoped Donald Trump would clean the swamp of political corruption, but he only became a part of it and made it ten times worse. We hope for things all the time and we are constantly disappointed when, yet again, Santa never leaves the little boy with cancer a Christmas present, Scrooge never lightens up on his workers and The Grinch gives Cindy Lou Who the finger as he races back to his ice mansion with all the toys and decorations on black Friday. Hope will drive you mad in the end. It will send you over the edge and there will be no one there to break your fall. You cannot expect things from people who lack empathy, who refuse to understand, who continue to mock and laugh at your suffering. Expect nothing from these people and you will be happier, much happier than you have ever been in your entire life. Identify the people who deny you, who scorn you, who would rather leave you for dead than give you a job with a fair paying wage for they are the ones who murdered hope, not me. Should you be able to expect decent working conditions, a reasonable salary and adequate transportation? Of course you should. You should also be able to work for someone who cares about your well-being. You deserve that, most people do. But, looking at the state of things today, can you really expect such things? Can you really keep living under the delusion that the same wealthy people, with all the money and resources in the world to feed, house and clothe the earth's inhabitants, and yet who choose not to, will actually help little old you? Can you really expect the leaders of today's world, who time and time again, have refused to do anything to stop climate change, but instead ask you to save the climate by denying yourself food, water and even the right to start a family, will help you maintain your civil rights? Can you really expect a government that has consistently failed to prosecute known criminals while at the same time jailing and, in some instances, murdering people for committing petty crimes will bring you any kind of sustainable peace? You would be foolish to have such expectations. You would be doing yourself great harm to expect a murderer to save your life. But do not worry because you do not need hope; you do not need expectation. You can achieve what you like with thought, with your mind. You can transcend belief. You can make the rainbow come to you. How? Value yourself and the answer will become clear.