Hope by definition means to cherish, want or desire something. That something can be a tangible or intangible item that one can expect to obtain at some point in time. My immigrant parents transmitted the process of hoping to me at a very early age in my life. I was fourteen years old and living in La Paz, Bolivia, when their hope of providing their children, my brother and I, a better life and education came true. The truth and realization of that hope, that desire or so-called dream was made a reality by immigrating to America. Their hope was driven strongly by their faith in God and the thought that they could make those dreams happen through their strong work ethic and perseverance.

They sold everything they owned in Bolivia, and left their lives behind to afford us the privilege of being educated in America. We left Bolivia with our lives in five suitcases, $50,000 dollars, which back in 1978 was a fortune for middle class working folks, and headed to America, the land of opportunity. My parents spoke no English yet they had the strong hope and desire that we would succeed. Twenty-five years later they are each successful business owners, with two college educated children. They turned their hopes into possibilities and made them a reality, all that with their beginning capital of $50,000. That was my first lesson of transforming hope into possibility. How does one make hopes, dreams or visions into possibilities or realities?

For us in 1978, that hope was transformed into reality by sacrifice, hard work and determination. It was accomplished by doing jobs that no one else would do and studying hard to prove that we as immigrants could succeed. Women who succeeded in my country of birth were a minority because they were not fulfilling the traditional role of a woman. My mother had the hope and the vision that her children would be given a different opportunity. My father chose to follow her dream. Together they defied their traditional roles that had been culturally inbred into them. Together they made a journey that has forever changed their lives. Their lives have been marked with joys and sorrows and an abundant recollection of memories that has set them apart from many of their family members that remain in Bolivia.

As a woman in todays fierce, competitive society in which we live, there are certain tools that we need to make things happen. Back then ones hopes were made into possibilities by working hard and having a strong determination. Today you also need that strong work ethic and determination; but in addition to that women must also equip themselves with several other tools.

The primary tool is education. Education provides us knowledge and knowledge gives us the ability to make choices to control our future. Education also provides us as women the ability to succeed. As a mother of three children I emphasize education on a daily basis. I am a firm believer that the foundation of promoting good study habits, and instilling the mindset that education is the key to opening many doors should start at a tender age with the simplest forms of study. As a mother, how do I turn the hope that I want my children to have a passion for higher education into a possibility or a reality? I spend time reading with them, to them, and I help them with their homework. I encourage them to try different things that involve the use of their minds. That however requires commitment and consistency. This is a task that cannot be done occasionally or at random. It is a task that has to be done on a continual basis- continuity builds good habits.

The second tool that I believe in and encourage others to use is: knowing how to define your vision, dream or game plan. It is very easy to hope to be a doctor, a military member, a good mother or whatever path we may envision for ourselves, but it can be difficult to attain that goal because we dont have a road map. How can we get from point A to point B if we do not know the route? I encourage women to set short-term goals and long-terms goals. Those goals should be a detailed plan of how the ultimate vision will be accomplished.

After having successfully completed my bachelors degree and working in my career field for several years, I realized that I had always wanted to do something else. So on my thirtieth birthday I made the choice to switch careers. I had a game plan and followed it and continued to educate myself along the way ever since. Making this change set me up for the most fulfilling phase of my life. Making this change also turned my hopes and dreams into a possibility or better yet a reality. That reality for me is being a successful business owner where I am able to be in control of my time and the amount of income I choose to make. This choice gives me the ability to first and foremost be a devoted wife, mother and then an entrepreneur.

The third and most important tool that I use and try to encourage other women to use is sharing my philosophy of the law of reciprocity with them. It is important to grow at all levels, to change and adapt to the different times in which we live but more importantly, to help others grow. The more we help others, the more we continue to grow as individuals and the more fulfilling our lives become. As women this is probably one of the easiest tasks to attain since the law of reciprocity can be applied at all levels of ones life. We should strive to live our lives in a way that we should always be an inspiration to others by our actions, words, and humbleness. Just as watching their parents inspires children, others can at times be inspired by our own actions, however simple they may be. It is these traits that inspire others to follow.

In closing, I can say that fear can be a huge obstacle to overcome at times. It can prevent anyone from accomplishing many things. It is important to believe in ones hopes, dreams or visions and to take that chance to pursue them so that they will turn into possibilities and realities. This means taking ownership of those hopes and dreams. My hope is that I can use my wisdom, knowledge and life experience to help other women grow. My hope is that my humble story will inspire fearful women to want to change and to turn their dreams into possibilities. At the end of the day when all is said and done- none of this would be possible for me with out the strength I gain from my faith in God. It is this faith that gives me the strength to hope, be committed to my goals, and to lead by example. The strength I gain through my faith is what makes it possible for me not to be afraid and to plunge forward. As I put the finishing touches on this essay I realize that I am fulfilling a dream by writing this essay, losing that fear and taking that chance of turning my newest hope into a possibility. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.