November/December 2008 Editor's Viewpoint
Growing Hope

by Vicky Thompson

Everyday experiences continually challenge your ability to have hope in the face of life's obstacles. But hope offers a spiritual life-line, providing love and compassion to guide you through even the darkest of moments.

The word hope conjures up different images for different people. Some see hope as a by-product of religion, where believers hold hope and faith that God will see them safely across the river of conflicts. Others may view hope as a Pollyannaish view of the world, prone to being crushed by the harsher realities of life. Some may not even know how to classify hope because it is tied so closely to pain and loss, so they give up on ever having hope.

Hope exists in tandem with despair as its polar opposite. Therefore, hope is not a mutually exclusive feeling because you don't feel hope as a simple singular emotional expression. Bleak or painful situations give rise to hope, making it a situationally inclusive feeling based on the given circumstances of the moment.

Hope is an emotion of triumph because in order to feel hope, you must have courage that even though the road ahead appears dark, your heart will strain toward the light. Giving up hope versus maintaining your dreams and desires in any situation, no matter how hopeless it seems, is an artful form of compassion. Hope requires you to hold the light, to be the candle burning in the window on a moonless night when all seems lost. This inner reserve of hope builds great strength within, and it is from this well that you pull deeply to share your compassion and acceptance with others striving to move ahead through the darkness.

Hope requires a balance between expecting the seemingly impossible and knowing that you can hold out for the highest and best outcome in a situation. Confident hope is not wishful thinking - it's hope with vision. It's not about being hopeless but feeling hopeful. It's not about wallowing in despair but holding hope with possibilities.

How can you find compassionate hope in the dire moments of life?

The most basic form of hope is accepting that every situation offers a chance for growth and change. Transformation becomes a given part of every interaction when you realize that you can depend on change. By placing your bets on the unknown, you create a solid foundation for hope to flourish.

Buddhists practice letting go of attachments to the known because life is impermanent. By becoming the river, ever flowing and always changing form, you have more going for you than the rock on the shore. The rock becomes dependent upon the known environment by steadfastly staying in one place. If the rock was tossed into the river, its world would be turned upside down.

The gift of life is that it always changes, challenging us to grow internally to meet external trials with confident hope that we are strong enough to make this journey. Hope says, Yes, I can. When another person is going through a challenging situation, hope says, Yes, you can. By extending this compassionate hope to others, hope says, Yes, we can.

Heart of the Issue

Hope is a practical tool for life's journey.