The most important product that America has managed to produce is not the automobile, television or computer. It is hope -- not only for ourselves, but for the world. In these times of so much tension and divisive rhetoric, hope is what will sustain us.

America is, after all, a country founded on hope.

We recently celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and few people represented hope more than that legendary civil rights leader. He said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

Consider also the words of another inspirational pastor, Robert H. Schuller, who said, “Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”

The future is what we have to work with. We can’t change history, but we can sure learn from it.

Businesses thrive on hope. Hope is manifested in long-range plans. Hope is apparent in building projects and expansion schemes. Hope is what brings new products to the market and what makes salespeople tick.

Hope is the reason most of us find a way to keep on keeping on. Hope is what helps us get past the bumps in the road and find a better path. Hope is believing that the best is yet to come.

Few people in the history of college sports have had a greater impact than my close friend Lou Holtz. He’s the only coach ever to lead six different schools to bowl games -- all within his first two years as head coach at each school. How did he do it? Well, according to Coach, there’s really only one way.

“I think everybody has to have four things in their life to be complete,” he told me. “First, everybody needs something to do -- something you have a passion for regardless of age. Second, everybody needs someone to love. Third thing, everybody needs something to hope for -- something that you’re really striving to accomplish. And finally, everybody needs something to believe in.”

In my mind, one of the best examples of hope is the backyard gardener. A gardener is someone who believes that what goes down must come up. Planting tiny seeds, hoping the ground is fertile, hoping for enough rain to nourish the seeds, but not so much that they will drown, hoping for sunshine and warm temperatures, hoping for a bountiful crop or beautiful flowers.

There are no guarantees when the spade turns the earth in the spring. No way of predicting whether the elements will cooperate. No assurance that the rabbits will stay away from the tempting sprouts. And yet, gardeners hope for a successful growing season despite so little being in their control.

When you plant seeds of hope in your garden, business or life, there are no promises. But there is a driving force that makes you persevere because you have hope that you will succeed. You have something to believe in.

According to a famous story, Bishop Milton Wright was expounding on the notion that the second coming of Christ was near, during an 1890 sermon. He said that everything that God had sent man to Earth to do was accomplished. A member of the congregation jumped to his feet and said that someday, man would fly.

The bishop responded with the predictable line, “If God had intended man to fly, he would have given him wings.”

Yet 13 years later, in 1903, Bishop Wright’s two sons, Orville and Wilbur, proved him wrong.

I wonder what Bishop Wright would say about the space program -- another amazing example of hope.

Hope is a gift that we give ourselves. Hope is a gift we can share with others. Hope is free, yet losing hope comes at a great cost. Hope is within all of us. We just need to let it guide us to a better future.

Just remember these words frequently attributed to Albert Einstein: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

Mackay’s Moral: When the world says, “Give up,” hope whispers, “Try again.”

(EDITORS" For editorial questions, please contact Reed Jackson at rjackson@amuniversal.com.)

Awards season has started in Hollywood, and it serves as a perfect metaphor for following your dreams. While few of us dream of becoming big stars or getting national recognition for doing excellent work, we all want to know the satisfaction of having a job we love.

Emma Stone won the Golden Globe award for best actress in a comedy or musical for her work in "La La Land," and gave a terrific acceptance speech with words that have applied to everyone at one time in their lives.

She said, "I think that hope and creativity are two of the most important things in the world ... To any creative person who has had a door slammed in their face, either metaphorically or physically ... or anybody anywhere, really, that feels like giving up sometimes and finds it in themselves to get up and keep moving, I share this with you."

In the movie, Stone plays an aspiring actress, opposite Ryan Gosling, who plays the role of a dedicated jazz musician who wants to open his own nightclub. Both characters struggle to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams.

It's really a story for much of America. We all struggle at one time or another.

One of my lessons when I speak to corporate America is that one must belief in oneself, even when no one else does. Life is not a parabolic curve. It doesn't go straight up. There are a lot of lumps and a lot of bumps.

I have never yet met a successful person who hasn't had to overcome either a little or a lot of adversity in his or her life. It seems like if we want to triple our success rate, we might have to triple our failure rate.

So, who says that you can't accomplish your goals? Who says that you're not tougher and better and smarter and harder-working and more able than your competition? It doesn't matter if they say you can't do it. The only thing that matters is if you say it.

Why do some of us have what it takes to pick ourselves up off the canvas when everyone else is ready to throw in the towel? I don't know the answer, but I do know this: It isn't all that rare. The human species comes equipped with built-in mental toughness. Some of us just don't know it's there.

Maybe you've always wanted to be a firefighter, an astronaut, a rock star or an entrepreneur -- but instead you find yourself marking time in a job you hate. Should you give up on your dream job?

Don't be too quick to write off your goals, but don't be stupid about it either. Some important considerations could help you decide what path to take.

-- Be realistic. If the bulk of your musical experience is playing "Guitar Hero" in the basement, chances are you're not going to sell out a major concert venue anytime soon. That doesn't mean you can't take lessons, meet other musicians, start a band and achieve some success.

-- Keep your day job. Having a job pays the bills, but it also gives structure to your time. You'll find it easier to set priorities and recognize what's really important when you have to balance your dreams with the necessities of living. Remember that you are not your job.

-- Adapt to change. The internet has changed the way many of us work. Whatever your dream job may be, stay flexible and look for opportunities that didn't exist until recently.

-- Create your own job. You don't have to wait for some big company to give you a job title. Build your ideal job on your own -- by freelancing part-time, for example, or volunteering your underused skills to a good cause.

-- Be prepared for sacrifice. If you're really committed to your dream job, you may have to give up on some other goals. You probably won't start with a big salary or lots of vacation. Ditch your sense of entitlement, and be ready to pay your dues.

-- Re-evaluate your goals. Many people reach the corner office only to realize they don't really enjoy being the CEO. Spend some time thinking about how you've changed and deciding whether your dream is what you want to devote your life to.

Mackay's Moral: The hardest sale you'll ever make is to yourself. But once you're convinced you can do it, you can.

(EDITORS" For editorial questions, please contact Reed Jackson at rjackson@amuniversal.com.)

For many, the New Year is a chance for a new beginning, perhaps best represented by the baby and the old man, symbols of the new and old years since the time of the ancient Greeks.

The fresh-faced cherub connotes so much promise. But so often, a few weeks into the new calendar, the good intentions and hopeful resolutions start to fade. Change is hard and old habits are stubborn. The future starts to look much more like the old man.

Could this year be different?

Yes. But only if you resolve to make the effort.

Consider the case of Gary Boone. As a young engineer at Texas Instruments in 1972, Boone came up with the idea for a full computer on a chip, later to be called a microprocessor. He patented his invention, and eventually made enough noise to get a meeting with the top computer guru at TI. He explained his idea, only to be met with this response: "Young man, don't you realize that computers are getting bigger, not smaller?"

Resistance to change like that can destroy companies. Gary Boone's big dream changed the world.

Or how about the tale of two Steves: Jobs and Wozniak, that is. They tried to sell the idea of personal computers to their bosses at Atari and Hewlett-Packard. But their bosses weren't interested. So, they started Apple Computer.

Whether it's a new job, a new business or a new whatever, you must be committed to making changes that will bring about your desired outcome. And I will caution, sometimes big changes take a lot more than one year.

But if you don't want this year to look like last year, the time to start is right now.

Start by taking charge of your life. It's not easy, but it is necessary if you want to make this year your best year. You don't have to do what you've always done or what everyone else expects from you. Think about what you really want to achieve and why. Then determine how you can make that happen.

Maybe it's learning some new skills that translate to a new job. Maybe it's formulating a business plan so you can finally be your own boss. Maybe it's working with a mentor to get inspiration or practical advice. Maybe it's just giving yourself permission to take a risk.

Motivate yourself by identifying the benefits of change. Money is always a motivator, but there are other factors that are equally important: job satisfaction, personal growth, marketability, pride of ownership and peace of mind.

Once you decide what you want to do and why, the next logical step is to get started. Focus on one area at a time. Allow enough time to make real, sustainable progress. Change will not happen overnight. But as the pieces start to fit together and you see actual progress, staying motivated will be much easier.

I mentioned working with a mentor, and I cannot overemphasize how important that relationship is. Find industry organizations that match your goals and seek advice. Identify people in your network who can help you connect with their contacts. Share your dreams with people who will not only support you, but also challenge you and encourage you to keep working toward your heart's desire.

Big changes often mean big risks. What if what you thought you wanted doesn't work out the way you thought it would? What if it works out even better? No risk, no reward. Open yourself up to the possibilities. You might discover that you weren't dreaming big enough.

Keep track of your progress. Note every little accomplishment and take stock of how far you've come. If a journal or chart would make it more tangible, go for it. As the saying goes, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.

Do one thing every day that will get you closer to your goal. Even if it's just reading an article or signing up for a class, be persistent. Developing habits like this are central to making changes that stick. It keeps you focused on the prize. It also sets you up to succeed beyond your goals, because you know what is required for the next big thing.

Jan. 1 may have come and gone, but don't wait another year to get going on your dream. A happy new year can start today!

Mackay's Moral: You don't have to uproot the whole tree to turn over a new leaf.