Hope is the first step....

A beautiful girl with garments bundled up in a sack around her back made her way through the village on an autumn night for the Annual Garment Exchange Festival. She could enjoy the peace and serenity of the starlit sky up above her, yet her heart was full of anxiety and her mind full of futile thoughts. It was her first time going to the festival to sell garments, like her father had advised. He had prepared her well, yet she was doubtful of her own abilities to become a salesman. Others along her path had taken notice of her, so she felt embarrassed to turn back and beg for her fathers forgiveness.

She made her way to the market place, it was crowded with people, lights, baked goods, and a cheerful crowd of merchants and costumers waiting to exchange money for material, or their own garments for new ones. Although the girl had the best garments such as silks and fine linens, she was frightful of getting the attention of people as they passed by. She became restless after spending an hour looking at the other merchants making some sales they were happy with and some that they were disgruntled about. She though that at least they had the courage to make a sale. She continued walking throughout the festival and finally came across a beggar. She knelt down to drop some change in his cup and came across a small note he had placed next to it. The note read "Don't wait for tragedy or difficult circumstances to remind you that it is with hope we live."

She pondered the advice as she stood watching the crowd interact, remembering how much she had wanted to sell garments since she was a little girl going to the market with her father. Finally she decided to lay down her bag and display her garments for people to see.

Hope is the beginning of every journey, don't loose sight of your intrinsic ability to hope and as a result take the necessary actions. The beggar hopes, let alone the man or woman who has a couple of silks in his or her bag....

That could be your education, your talents, your vantage point, your personality, your knowledge....what ever your goods are, put it to use. Time will pass either way, why not spend it doing what you love.