I subscribe to NPR’s “This I Believe” series, and so often find nuggets of hope in the stories they cover. The following excerpt is from the essay by Hugo Haas, who was forced by the Nazis out of his Czech-born film impresario. After living in America for 13 years, Haas explored his beliefs and wrote this:
There are many things I learned to believe in during the many years of my eventful life. First of all, I learned to believe in the tremendous power of life itself and in the power of self-preservation. Through the stormy years of persecution, exile, poverty and grief over the losses of people nearest to me, I never lost the drive to go on, even in situations of hopelessness and despair. The power of self-preservation teaches you to believe in many good things; for instance, in the fundamental goodness of people.

Throughout the bad years of misfortune, there always appeared from nowhere, somebody–people, simple people, who were willing to help. Sometimes it almost seemed incredible that complete strangers would be interested in my existence. I finally arrived at the conclusion that it is not so easy to die of hunger and starvation, that there is always someone, somewhere, hidden behind your door and waiting with a piece of bread to spoil your honest intention to die and insisting in your continuing to live.
Click here to read the entire essay.