I mourn for all of the people who feel hopeless right now. I wanted to say I mourn for all of the hopeless, but I caught myself because no one is hopeless. We may often feel like giving up, feeling like there is no reason to be hopeful, but that is a mindset choice that we can work on over time. It will not always be as easy as flipping a switch, but we can gradually cultivate a healthier and more hopeful attitude. Do you want to try, though?
Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?
-Leo Buscaglia
It saddens me at how often my own dad pops into my head during this cycle because he does not strike me as a very hopeful individual. While I think he has a strong sense of duty which I admire, he often presents himself as being rather resigned to his lot in life. That approach does not allow you to enjoy a lot of life. How dull are the colors and how blurry are the edges when you no longer hold any hope for the future? How can you reinvigorate your hopefulness? What needs to happen to rekindle your hopeful flame?
The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something.
-Barack Obama
Wow. Do you know what I realized with this insight as I reflected on it more? No, so let me tell you now :) Mindfulness. I now question the positive correlation between being mindful and being hopeful. It makes me wonder how many of the mindless are also the hopeless at present. Mindfulness serves as a key skill to shine a light on many parts we have ignored and allowed to darken for who knows how long. It can be very difficult and challenging work, but it is well worth it in order to enhance, fortify, and harness our hope.
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
-John Green
I am hopeful that we can all be more hopeful. Start by being more present more often. Stop living in a state of delusion or ignorance. Be honest about how you are and where you are at right now. Make plans for your future that excite you. Take even the smallest of significant steps towards that life that fills you with light and gives you glowing hope.
It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
It is not lost on me how dark and difficult life can be. I know the struggles that I have had, and I have had to face many of them. There are still more awaiting me in my future, too. They do not compare to others, but it does not need to be a competition or comparison between any of us. Can we still hold hope in spite of it all? Do we refuse to give up and admit defeat? So many heroic survivors in history point back to their hopeful presence and mindset that they held on to with such patient persistence while beset by so much.
Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
-Thích Nhất Hanh
What a nice thought to imagine a future where I will no longer need to mourn for such a disparaging and self-defeating condition. The idea of us all being hopeful one day brings a peaceful joy to the wholeness of my being. I hold hope for this possibility down the road because, if we all choose to design hopeful lanes, then we will make it a reality.
You don’t want to beat yourself up for beating yourself up in the vain hope that it will somehow make you stop beating yourself up.
-Kristin Neff
In this present moment, I hope you can shift your mindset with me to one of hope. With our best thoughts and actions aligned and directed mindfully, we can lead well-lit lanes.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.