Be With Hope
Lisa M. Templeton, Ph.D.
Published in November 2019 Luminous Wisdom: SOPHIA
In a world full of disappointments, we all need a little hope. Yet, to be with hope, we must take a risk. Not all we endeavor toward will be achieved, and it can feel sometimes as though hope waxes and wanes through circumstances. We can lose hope when we are disappointed; other times, the light of hope is sparked by confidence and courage. No matter your circumstances, hope is always within, we need only to inspire it.
So what exactly is hope? Hope is an expectation of fulfillment, as well as the ability to move forward with trust. Because hope can seem so ambiguous, appearing and disappearing based on perspective, it seems as though hope is more about balance and trust than it is about getting to some final place of peace or contentment. Hope is a prayer. Balancing my will to change, along with my surrender to allow it to move through, there is balance and trust within; there is hope.
One of the most difficult situations in which to maintain hope is chronic pain. I learned this firsthand when I began experiencing migraines and monthly headaches a few years ago. Initially, I maintained hope that it was a temporary issue that I would move through with self-care and slowing down. As the headaches continue to recur, I find my hope waxing and waning.
Over the course of many months, and even to this day, I am working to maintain balance in my life and my body to address the headaches, with the hope they will abate. Hope is an incredibly important aspect to walking a difficult path. While I work to maintain hope to be free of pain, I must trust that this experience is temporary and that I have much to learn from it, while practicing the truths I teach.
To be with hope, we must believe in ourselves. Pain, lack of control, and difficulties in life can sometimes throw off our balance and trust within, which certainly wavers our hope. When you continue to try to do something or let go of something without success, it is extremely difficult to stay positive in our beliefs and keep hope alive. Yet, we must remain open to hope and live in the trust that will carry us through. Without hope, we are powerless and offer our own power away to the circumstance at hand.
To be with hope, we must inspire hope. Live in gratitude for each painful and joyous moment, allowing for flexibility and balance. Connect with pure unconditional love and compassion for self and others. Stand with power and be open to change, trusting that we can relax into the flow of life. When hope appears absent, know it will always be inspired to come again.