Hope and Action

A friend put a post up today expressing her fear and hopelessness in these times of political and climate decline. She fears for her children and grandchildren and the future of our planet.

She’s not the only one. Many of us are filled with a form of grief and lack of purpose at times. When it seems all is hopeless. But I refuse to accept that.

It is a form of grief to be living in these times. But as I did when my beloved husband Tom died and all looked hopeless, I embraced the grief, let the tears flow, then stepped forward into a new day.

Focus on the things we can do, rather than what we can’t do, what we do have rather than what we don’t have.

Take inspiration from those who hold out hope.

Jane Goodall, “Every day we make some impact on the planet. And the cumulative effect of millions of small ethical actions will truly make a difference.”

Fred Rogers, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Greta Thunberg, “Hope resides in collective action, not in governments. . . No one is too small to make a difference.”

Bruce Springsteen sings from a grounded realism with an enduring faith in the human spirit.

The people of Minneapolis and other cities made a difference by gathering together with marches, costumes, songs, and other forms of peaceful protest.

Yes, we have grief and fear but we also have hope and action, love and strength. Make your choice how you will make a difference.

Don’t Be Afraid to Dream

We all have dreams, but do we have the courage to live those dreams?

I remember a friend telling me she was too fearful to ask for love in her life because she was so afraid that if she got it, it would be ripped out of her life like a tablecloth being ripped off a table pulling all the fancy china with it. She was so afraid of achieving her dream because she was already anticipating the pain of losing it.

I told her that maybe, just maybe, the dishes will remain solidly on the table. That’s what makes it “the magical tablecloth trick.” If we never take the gamble, we will never get to experience the joy of living our dreams.

It doesn’t matter what the dream is. Maybe you desire a fancy car but won’t get it because you’re afraid it will get scratched in the parking lot or stolen. Perhaps you desire a child but can’t stomach the thought of losing that child while they are still young.  Or maybe you have a dream to travel but won’t because you’re afraid you’ll get pick-pocketed or catch some horrible disease if you do. Maybe you want a better job, but you don’t believe you’re capable of handling it.

Just dream. And start stepping towards the fulfillment of that dream. Believing it will come true and all will be well takes courage as well as an acceptance that it might not. But how will I ever know unless I take those first steps and begin the journey?