perseverance. and hope. paul rheminds us that hope is nt about what you see at this moment, but what you believe to be possible. because hope that is seen is no hope at all. who hopes for what they already have? finally, no matter how bad things are in the present moment, holding tight to faith and unflagging hope ensures that we are more than conquerers in the long run. on thursday, president obama followed a similar argument. he acknowledged the continuing problems we face as a nation. but we encouraged americans to believe in our history. in one another. and in the powerful but difficult work of self-government. rather than running from hope, he doubled down on it. >> america, i never said this journey would be easy, and i won't promise that now. yes, our path is harder. but it leads to a better place. yes, our road is longer, but we travel it together. we don't turn back. we leave no one behind.