“Even as we hurt, we hoped.” Those words, by poet laureate Amanda Gorman, resonated deep within me. Hope is for most of us an often ignored yet necessary component of life, and it’s necessary every single day of our existence. When times are good, when things are just where we want them to be, when we’re skating along freely and easily, we may not think about hope very frequently. It is when the challenges arise and the darkness descends that hope becomes the lifeline that sees us through.

Hope can cover a lot of ground. We hope the package arrives at its intended destination - whether that be from us or to us - in a timely manner. We hope to find grocery shelves stocked with the items on our list, though, as we know from the pandemic and past storm predictions, that hope is often fruitless. Perhaps we hope to win the lottery. These may be legitimate hopes, but they hover in the realm of the superficial.

My thoughts lately have been on the deeper meaning of the word. What is it that would truly inspire me, others, and the world? What does my soul yearn for? Where am I feeling the need for a lifeline of hope?

Tapping into the core of my being while concentrating on the single word of hope, the first thing that arose was the feeling of fear. Yes, fear, sitting in my solar plexus. Obviously, I do not hope for fear, but instead desire deliverance from it. I barely recollect what it was like before this mantle of fear draped itself on my shoulders and tied knots in the pit of my stomach. I am far from alone in experiencing these feelings, but this is not an instance where ‘being in good company’ brings comfort.

I hope that we, as a collective, can break free of the oppression of fear and walk once again with a lightness in our being.

The second area of my body to respond to the word hope was my heart chakra. There is a sadness that resides there that I am assured is not permanent. Some of this sadness is comprised of unrealized hopes and dreams - my own and also those of the world. My heart’s sadness is exacerbated by the actions of those who choose to not honor Ahimsa, a Buddhist word that means doing no harm. The principal construct of Ahimsa is one of non-violence.

The sadness that I’m experiencing will lift. And it will do so much more quickly if I regularly infuse it with new energy to revitalize my hopes and dreams. Hope for the control and ultimate eradication of Covid-19. Hope for equality. Hope for an economic rebound. Dreams of family celebrations and dinners with friends. Dreams of the day when I can once again see smiles and share hugs. There is not an expectation that these hopes will be realized today or even tomorrow. However, I possess an absolute trust in their eventuality, and this trust brings a hope that fills my heart with inspiration.

Let us each seek inspiration to fill our hearts with hope. May our individual vibrations resonate outward and combine with the frequencies of others to give rise to an exponential growth of hope throughout the world.

Hope isn’t singular. Hope is personal. Wondering what others were feeling about hope, I requested comments from some friends and clients. I am delighted to share here what they had to say.

Hope is:

• everything right now

• a sustaining concern for the future (in a broad or a specific sense) in an optimistic direction

• living your future in the present moment

• the optimistic, confident desire for a particular outcome

• seeing the complete universe even while living the darkest moments

• never losing sight of a better tomorrow

• to assume confidently or trust that something is or will be so (per etymonline.com)

• a wish on a large scale, without intense emotional commitment, with a preference for (but not an expectation of) success, and without commitment to the work required to achieve results

• the indomitable belief that no matter our circumstances, things will get better

• an expectation that the best is yet to come

Their greatest hopes are:

• that all of mankind and womankind will be reconciled to a right relationship with Mother Earth

• equality: that love and light lift one and all

• that the new administration will have the power to unite the nation and make our world and nation a safer place to live

• to see a more peaceful world in my lifetime

• that I will spend more time in the present, let go of the past and stop worrying about the future

• unity through growth and change for the better

• that President Biden figures out a way to heal some of the deep divisions in our country

• that humanity can collectively recognize our environment's peril and summon the will to make the needed changes

• justice and peace for all

• that humankind can come closer by finding shared understanding of facts and respect for our differences

• to see a more peaceful world in my lifetime

• to actively move towards a more ethical, respectful, and peaceful way of life

One response was hope for me “to feel appreciated for your gifts, and that the kindness you bestow on others comes back to you tenfold” and another “that you find peace within yourself.” Thank you, my friends, for your kind wishes.

Someone shared this quote: “Hope is believing in spite of the evidence, and then watching the evidence change.” (Jim Wallis)

Another replied “there are strong energies behind the word hope.” So very true. Every word contains energy, and so it is important to use those energies to benefit ourselves and others. Do I always succeed in this? No, certainly not. But I can feel the impacts when I falter. My body, emotional balance, mental state and spiritual well-being all suffer. So now I seek to re-set, to re-establish my connection with dreams for a better world, and then to hope for the best. I hope that we all live with the integrity of Ahimsa, doing no harm to ourselves or to anyone else. I’m trying my best. Please join me. Let’s create a world filled with peace, and love, and HOPE.