Two Different Takes on Hope -- One Way Forward

Written by Jude Bijou and Narrated by Marie T. Russell. My training taught me that it's necessary to give up all hope so you can accept reality. This means give up all hope that your partner will ever change, or come back, or see you like they once did. Then once you truly give up hope, from a state of acceptance -- "People and things are the way are, not the way I think they should be" -- then you are in a position to figure out what you need to do in order to experience more joy, love and peace. That means, based on this new reality, what action(s) do I know I need to take? Clearly, this giving up hope extends well beyond our personal relationships. A Different Take on Hope Jane Goodall, a heroine of mine and author of the 2021 book, The Book of HOPE, A Survival Guide for Trying Times, has a slightly different take on the word hope. She gets hope from seeing the courage, bravery, and forward thinking that people experience in dire circumstances and situations. She writes: "...each time I become depressed [about all of the atrocities and conflicts currently and in the past], I think of all the amazing stories of the courage, steadfastness, and determination of those who are fighting the "forces of evil." For, yes, I do believe there is evil amongst us. But how much more powerful and inspirational are the voices of those who stand up against it. And even when they lose their lives, their voices still resonate long after they are gone, giving us inspiration and hope--hope in the ultimate goodness of this strange, conflicted..." Continue Reading this article at InnerSelf.com (plus audio/mp3 version of article) Music By Caffeine Creek Band, Pixabay ©2021 by Jude Bijou, M.A., M.F.T. All Rights Reserved.