OfPonderingWandering

How can we carry hope while remaining grounded in the present? 

As explored in our last blog, hope and fear work in tandem. Much like a prisoner and their escort, as Seneca describes. Primarily, the problematic aspect of hope is its tendency to detach us from the present and trap us in daydreaming. Which, ironically, can lead us down the path of complete ignorance of any opportunities that may bring us to the future we want. 

Because of this, the ability to remain level-minded when experiencing hope is key. In this blog, we will explore this concept through working with both the fearful and hopeful sides of this issue. 

The Fear side 

All is well that ends well

When we pin all of our hope on a singular outcome, we fall into a ‘be-all and end-all’ mindset, “If I don’t get this promotion then I’ll never be make enough.”Yet, is this really a ‘be-all and end-all’ situation? No, unless the situation involves dying (in which distress is warranted), then you can rest assured that everything will end out okay even if you don’t reach the ‘hopeful scenario.’ Have some faith in yourself! 

Furthermore, we should begin to confront the possibility of our ‘dreams’ not working out. Broadly, there are three possible outcomes we should consider, listed below. Along with this, I have listed ‘during’ and ‘after’ sections to help us determine what stage we are in, perform course corrections, and learn from our outcomes.

Undershoot: You fell short of your goal, e.g 35% on a test. 

During: Do I have the right resources and frame of mind for this task right now? If not, what can you do to help yourself?

After: What would I do differently next time? How can I implement those changes?

Reach:

During: Am I on track to timely completion? I am doing my job right? 

After: Is there any way that I can streamline this process next time? 

Overshoot: 

During: What are my energy levels like; and does it match up with the work I’m outputting?

After: Could I redirect my abundant effort into other ‘weaker’ areas in this project? 

Through engaging with our fear in this ‘workable’ manner, we end up grounding it in the present through allowing ourselves the chance of betterment through small actionable steps. Not only will this subdue our fear, by empowering us, but this will also allow us to build towards hope in an effective and structured manner. However, the feeling of ‘missing out’ on an opportunity is something that never quite goes away, and that is okay. Rumi offers us some wisdom here, reminding us to welcome sorrow into our lives.

Mawlana Rumi – Guest House 

“Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweeps your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.”

Mawlana Rumi highlights an important point: optimism in the face of defeat. Defeat is just a change, which opens the doors to new possibilities. This is the hopeful side of hope, which we will explore in the next section. 

The Hopeful side

Hope is powerful; it is one of the best painkillers available, yet it has the side effect of taking us out of the present. We must begin to use hope like a tool again, moderately, and in the right scenarios. When we base the use of hope in present reality, we can literally build our dreams.

Small steps 

To achieve this, we can ground hope in present reality through taking (small) ‘actionable steps.’ Which will eventually build to the ‘hopeful state.’ For example, instead of daydreaming of a promotion, we put our soul into the work we do. 

This allows us two things: firstly, the ability to seize opportunities when they arise, instead of missing them due to daydreaming. And secondly, we can pace ourselves, much like building a house by hand; it would be absurd to complete it all in one day. Instead, we must choose to build brick by brick intentionally, taking breaks when need be. Yet, this is not all there is to holding on to hope. 

Communal Hope Theory 

When hiking (for instance) the best way to deal with a heavy load is to split it between your hiking group. I believe this concept can be applied to dealing with the ‘repercussions’ of hope. For our purposes, I will split hope into two broad categories: ‘Individualist hope.’ Which is self focused: ‘I hope to get a promotion to earn more money’ And secondly, ‘communal hope’ which is community focused, “I hope to get this promotion to better help out the community I serve.” 

What intrigues me the most is that despite both of these examples starting from hope their ‘flavour’ if you will is different. And this lies in the difference of scope (individual vs community driven). What is most interesting is how communal hope can seemingly more effectively subdue fear and provide hope than individualist hope. We can see this in how meaning is applied to hope. 

Meaning and Communal Hope 

Communal hope not only meets the criteria of individualist hope (promotion in both scenarios) but additionally provides a meaningful relationship between one and their community. It is this discovery of meaning (as highlighted by Logotherapy) that can drive a person to overcome any obstacles in their way. As Nietzsche puts it, “He who has a why, can endure almost any how.”

Not only do we find meaning within our community and ourselves, but we are given the chance to give back to the world. Which allows us to cultivate a meaningful presence and legacy of wholesomeness and helpfulness (I will expand on the ‘why’ more in another blog). 

On top of this, from a social perspective, when we shift our ‘hopes’ to a more communal lens we are able to more effectively generate and ultimately gain support throughout our journey. If people are in the understanding that helping you will ultimately help humanity, then naturally they are more inclined to do so. Thus, providing unique and diverse perspectives to your work, and reducing any arising fear. 

Now, does this mean that we should forgo individualist hope? No, not exactly. Instead I urge awareness and caution when dealing with individualist hope. Carry the awareness of the cycling nature that hope and fear represent. And if possible, turn your hope into a community effort- Make a communal impact! 

In conclusion, hope and fear are powerful emotions that can strip us from the present and paralyze us in dreams of the future. Yet, we can learn to handle these emotions through mindfulness and awareness in a safe and effective manner. For fear, we must reframe and confront our experience of it. And for hope, we must take small accountable steps towards our dreams and try to get others involved in our vision. Both hope and fear do not need to be ‘escapes’ from the present. When grounded in small steps and shared with others, hope and fear become a valuable compass that guides us towards a future that we are capable of building.  

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