Hope - A Feeling Found In The Present Moment

 

In the fall of 2019, I gave a talk on hope. Little did we know how much hope we would need in the year to come. Hope is an interesting concept and one that practitioners of mindfulness meet with some skepticism because hope suggests a future oriented desire; something different than what is here.

Many great teachers have wise things to say about hope. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh says that hope "can make the present moment less difficult to bear," but can also take us out of living in the present moment. In the Tibetan tradition, Pema Chodron shares a slogan, "abandon all hope." Brother David Steindl Rast defines hope as "openness for surprise." I've always loved that one. Brené Brown defines hope as a cognitive process that involves goals (I'm over-simplifying this). I am sure there are many other insightful takes on what hope is and how it can be beneficial or not. I think we can take something from all of them. We can also keep it very simple and say hope is found in the present moment.

In light of many world hardships, the war in Ukraine being at the top of my list, I am seeing the need to contemplate hope, once again, and I thought I'd share where I am finding it in this moment of time:

• The coming together of countries, corporations, and people everywhere standing up for and supporting the people of Ukraine.
• The current emergence of spring with its warmer weather, shoots of flowers emerging from the soil, robins boldly making their appearance  (even if there is some snow in the forecast)
• The recognition that all things change. There is hope in impermanence.
• My friend has an exciting interview this week
• Another friend has a new book of poems about to land on my doorstep, fresh off the press
• The declining Covid-19 cases 
• The fact that a contractor actually called me back!
• A blank page in a journal at the start of a new day
• The sound of kids playing in the distance
• Being able to connect with you through this email 
• Remembering I can always choose kindness in any moment, over all else (this includes kindness toward oneself).

Hope, to me, is a feeling found in the present moment. I don't have to look ahead for hope. It shows itself daily in a felt sense of awe, possibility, wonder, joy, connection, support, love and kindness. My invitation this week is to take moments of stopping to look around and take in what is good, what is emerging, what is changing. While there is suffering, there is also growth and beauty everywhere. We can't have one without the other, but when we pause to appreciate, we spread the seeds of goodness. We can water ourselves daily with hope by defining and feeling the gifts that are right here.

🍀
Jean

P.S.  Hope is also found in beginning something new. A Beginning Meditation Series starts on 3/22 if you want to start a practice or get renewed in yours.