I’ve been speaking with many people of late who are finding it very difficult to find hope. And indeed, there are many reasons to feel hopeless, that’s for sure. But hope is critical for our future, for it is about seeing and imagining a future. If we can’t imagine a future, there won’t be one.
Indeed, according to renowned anthropologist Jane Goodall, hope is a human survival trait. Without hope we don’t survive. It is hope that propels us to take action when we see an injustice or a wrong, and this is a key point – hope is a verb; it requires action.
Examples of hope in action are everywhere and they all involve imagining a future with anticipated outcomes; planting a tree, having a baby, eating healthy, exercising, getting a degree, learning a trade, making new friends, joining a choir. We wouldn’t do any of these things if we didn’t hope they have a positive outcome.
Another other key point to remember is that hope is infectious. Sharing our hopes with friends and community strengthens the power of hope. Now more than ever we have to express hope by reaching out to others and making meaningful connections. We have to listen to other points of view and look for the things we share in common rather than focus on our differences. You’d be surprised how much you have in common with even your greatest adversary.
So, in these uncertain times make hope your beacon, for it might just be the light that helps steer us all to a better future.
