At the beginning of the year I had a big desire to write about hope. At that time we were finding ourselves in the year after the pandemic, a time that had put the lives of many on pause – circumstances many of us found hard to hold and accept, which ultimate brought anxiety, depression and major life questions to the surface. It oddly became a form of a new normal. An expression cited and quoted by many.

Almost 12 months later – the question is back: where are we now? Do we still dare to talk about hope? Do we need to do it now even more, maybe? Is it something that has actually become imperative to talk about?

There is much to say about 2023, and we are not even done with it yet. But what stands out the most at this point in time (as these words are being written) are raging wars, ignorant politicians, children dying, femicides, equality in all the ways and Mother Earth’s continued suffering.

"Even when the truth isn't hopeful,

the Telling of it is."

– Andrea Gibson

 

Inviting in reflections

When you look back at your own year – can you still love life? Where do you stand in relationship to a big word like ‘hope’? Do you allow yourself to have hope for better times or years to come? Or has it just been this little bit too much in recent years, that you’d not dare to dream up the good anymore?

To warm up your thoughts, have a little read here: our January post on the word ‘HOPE’. We even launched two new pieces in the name of ‘hope’ this year – our ‘Star of Hope’ bracelet and our ‘Rebel of Hope’ earrings. That just as a side note.

Perhaps we can be ok with not knowing exactly what we’re hoping for, but cultivate telling ourselves that it’s okay to take the leap of faith and trust the landing. What do you think?

A new hope

What sounds like the exact title of a Star Wars episode is actually the headline of something new that is to land in my personal life. Last week I wrote about the big news, my pregnancy and my path towards and through it.

What is most humbling about my pregnancy journey for me is that in order for it to happen I needed to surrender to the bigger force that is within me. I have been ‘waiting’ for my daughter to come through and at the same time we needed to be in this together for it to happen. I needed to take relevant steps to prepare the space for her to land. My guiding light? It was hope. If I hope and trust and believe, spirit can make it happen. If I surrender, I can see that something much bigger is at work here.

Elizabeth Gilbert writes in ‘Big Magic’ about ideas we say yes to. How these ideas actually come to adopt us. Who chooses who? It is how we begin to act in their favour. Do we have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within us?

How does this all relate to hope?

There is hope if we can understand that life is not personal. That we are little helpers of a bigger version that is life. And sometimes a lot needs to grief, die, wilt, decay before new hope can actually come through. You might have come across words that resemble 'The night is darkest just before dawn.' What helps? To believe in the bigger vision.

Both, here at Ananda Soul and in my own life I trust and believe that the bigger vision is of the whole. It is the sum, the ALL of us that encompasses us and everything in and around us. Let that be ourselves, our loved ones, our beautiful Mother Earth, who despite humanities continual impact - keeps on giving and providing life – in short – resilience.

So no matter where you are in your journey of hope, in a world often clouded by uncertainty, to embrace a bigger vision of hope may illuminate the path ahead, casting rays of possibility and resilience.

It's a beacon that rallies spirits, fostering unity and igniting a collective determination to surpass limitations.

This expansive hope invites us to dream courageously, to innovate tirelessly, and to uplift one another with unwavering optimism.

Such a vision doesn't just inspire, but it propels us towards a future where our combined aspirations bloom into a reality of boundless potential, inspiring all those who share in this vision to believe in the transformative power of hope. 

“Do whatever brings you to life, then. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.”

― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear