It's easy to have hope when things are going well...

When things are going smoothly is easy to trust and have hope. The challenge comes when there is struggle.
It is difficult to feel hope, peace and trust when we are faced with problems, losses and pain. Fear may take over and paralyze us. Or we may go into despair or anger and not see the light at the end of the tunnel.
What to do in these situations?
Ideally we should stay calm and centered in the middle of a tornado. No matter what happens outside of us, we should be able to remain calm on the inside.
Easier said than done, right? 
How can we remain calm when our world in crumbling around us and we see no way out? How can we be centered when we have no way to change the situation or feeling?
One word:     HOPE
Hope is what keeps us going, what keeps us fighting despite the losses, what keeps us moving when we feel exhausted.

Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual teacher and poet, wrote:

"Life without hope

Is no life at all.

 

Hope passes beyond,

Far beyond,

The abyss of despair.

Our hopes

Should be as deep

As the Pacific Ocean.

Hope    

Is not just a word.   

Hope    

Is today's beautiful plant.    

Hope    

Is tomorrow's fruitful tree.

 

Hope is not a momentary flicker.  

Hope is Eternity's slow, steady,

Illumining and fulfilling height.

 

O hope, you are my treasure dear 

Of a long century.    

Because of you I see not the fear    

Of stark penury."

When we turn to hope, we can remove ourselves momentarily from the painful situation and become an observant. When we feel hope, we analyze the reason for the struggle, the meaning of the pain and the patterns of unconscious reactions. When we feel hope, we find the light at the end of the tunnel and walk towards it, knowing that there must be a reason for this challenge, a lesson to be learned or a skill to be gained. When we feel hope, we strengthen our faith and override negativity and helplessness.

Hope allows us to be conscious and aware as we explore the roots of our discomfort and try to find a way out. And sometimes there is no way out but through. Sometimes there is no way out but surrender.

Hope allows us to stop resisting and fighting so we can become more mindful of the present moment and what we are creating for ourselves. Is it possible to feel hope in the midsts of struggle and pain? I have seen it happen. It takes commitment to one self to observe curiously what is happening inside of us and to allow it to be. It takes courage to go inside and find the light. It takes strength to bring out the hope and light and not become overwhelmed by the chaos around us.

It is easy to be hopeful and excited about life when things go well, but it makes us grow as humans and as spiritual beings when we learn from our challenges, find our inner strength and cultivate hope for ourselves and the world.

In hope and love for all,

Nancy