It’s easier to notice the things that have already been hopeful in the past. You can look past the bad things happening and just concentrate on the things that are going well.
When I think of a quote by Joe Primo,
the connection between gratitude and hope
seems more apparent.
”Gratefulness is the buffer that keeps hope from falling into despair.”
As happy as I was today
planting my boxwoods and ajuga,
as grateful as I was
for a place to plant,
enough money to spend on the teeny tiny plants,
and a warmer day to do the work,
I didn’t experience a sense of hope.
It was there,
but not an active part of my experience.
Hope lies dormant on days like this,
perhaps because it is autumn
and the garden is settling in for a long, winter’s sleep
or because my expectations are not strong . . .
I think more in terms
of waiting to see what happens
in the spring.
The squirrels and the chipmunks
are busy
scouring the land and the bushes,
gathering nuts and berries for the winter,
not because they hope to have enough,
but because it is instinctively
what they do.
They take what comes
and neither complain
nor fall into despair . . .
they see the world in perhaps healthier terms than I.
In the languid days of summer
they come closer,
and sit in the palm of my hand,
stuffing peanuts into their cheeks . . .
sometimes
one will pause,
strip the shell off,
and eat one while they sit there,
little star feet warming my hand..
And then they are gone.
Do they store them for another day?
Or do they share them with their family for supper?
The wildlife takes things as they come
without judgment,
without taking the weather personally,
and without rancor.
I am working my way through the Bhagavad Gita, and your description of the squirrels and chipmunks doing their duty is such a great example of Yoga. They do their duty with no attachment or expectations, surrendering to the path of gathering food because it is the right thing to do. Perhaps if more humans did the same, it would allow more hope. Maybe? But hope for what? Does hoping for something mean we are attached to how we’d like things to be? Hmmm…. Now I’m thinking about how attachments, good or bad, keep us from liberation. Oh goodness. That’s a whole semester of philosophy 😂
In my life, there is so much to be grateful for. Most of it is right outside my door. Bringing awareness to my senses, brings me back to the present. And, doing this helps me to focus on what I have and is available to me right now. It steers me away from a scarcity mindset, and allows me to notice abundance. It’s that scarcity mindset that is really what I’m trying to steer away from.
Being grateful for the beauty of nature all around when opening the window blinds in the morning creates a positive start into the day, which might set the tone for the day ahead. In general, it creates more of a joyful, peaceful state of mind and emotions and hope is one of the positive qualities coming up more easily when gratefulness is present often during the day to come, as there is so much to be grateful for. Honoring dear friends today who had helped a lot these days with their kindness, understanding and compassion not only concerning my own momentary difficulties but towards many while we all met. It is their nature to be so kind. Blessings to them. Their being present had created hope for several participants. Thank you dearly.
Noticing “what I’m grateful for” brings me into the present moment and reminds me that the past is history that I can’t change and the future is mystery that I can’t know. What I can know in NOW–the present and how I live this moment can give me hope. I can choose to respond to the NOW not react. I can choose to respond to the NOW with love and compassion. I can choose to grow. Growing is the best I can offer to the world.
The two parts of this question don’t connect for me as written. I’d say it’s noticing what makes me hopeful that makes me feel more grateful.
Noticing what I’m grateful for: This takes two forms for me. One is paying attention to what might otherwise be easy to take for granted. My husband making coffee for me every morning, hot water for my shower, food and shelter and love and a job that pays for things I need to survive and thrive.
The other is paying attention to the unexpected delights that come my way in every day. In my journal I write “Today’s delights–” at the top of a column I mark off with design and a different color of ink for that day. A delight might be the glorious butter-yellow tree we walked past the other day, its leaves glowing in the sunlight, or the feeling of freedom when I ride my bike, or eating oatmeal cookies I baked before we went on vacation and froze so we’d have treats when we got home. I find what I’m looking for and if I look for delights in any day, they’ll be there.
What makes me feel hopeful about the present moment: The actions and energy of so many people speaking up for freedom, community, rights that each and every one of us have under the Constitution, human rights to be who we are and love who we want. Biking with my husband to drop off our ballots yesterday and knowing hundreds of thousands of people–maybe millions–were voting alongside us across the country. Living in a state whose leaders stand up against tyranny.
“Hope is an act of defiance against a politics of pessimism and a culture of despair that depends on us not being able to imagine something better than where we are now.”
— Rabbi Sharon Brous
A wealth of inspiring and thought provoking quotes here,
dear Barb . . .
I couldn’t organize this Question for myself today
either. ♥
Gratefulness helps land me back in the present. Once present, I can tune into what feels right in the moment. I honestly have trouble placing hope into the scene, because it seems like a stake in a distant future–but being present does help me access surrender and faith. Still working on feeling my way into the shape of all these qualities: hope, surrender, acceptance, faith, humility, gratefulness. They seem of the same palette.
In my experience gratitude and hope are hand-holding partners. They do their best work together. It is not an either/or, but a both/and. I have hope AND I am grateful that I do – it makes a difference. Likewise, I am grateful AND that gives me hope – it makes a difference. If I find myself being ungrateful, I am likely likely losing hope for that situation. Is that what I want? If I find myself losing hope in a situation, perhaps it is because I have found nothing for which to be grateful, or have actively become ungrateful. For example…as long as I am grateful for my granddaughter, there is hope for a relationship. Similarly, if I am losing hope for a relationship with my granddaughter, perhaps it is because I have become ungrateful for her – not just some of her actions. (Not saying that is a real situation – just a little parable or allegory, if you please.)
Katrina, it’s just like me with my business ventures. If I’m grateful for that, my influence will increase. Individual impowerment grows. People will feel more comfortable within their own skin rather than having to conform to collective standards.
I am very grateful– more very relieved actually, to have a Sunday where I can sleep in, look outside now, see my neighbor’s pot of red geraniums and go for a walk to look at fall flowers now. I don’t have to rush frantically off to work as I. need to do Monday – Friday. I am going to have to trust that nurturing myself, having time to ponder my work challenges will bring some kind of calm as I step into my very challenging work week tomorrow.
I’m not sure what being grateful and makjng me” feel more hopeful about the present moment” means?.” I am happy about the present moment. Just not when I think of tomorrow.
I am struggling to answer this question this morning. Reading it two or three times, I just felt there was an assumption that my hope is dependent upon my gratitude and I don’t feel that way. I began to write 2 different responses and they felt forced. A beautiful day to you each.🍁
Winter is coming, and I’m grateful for having a cozy place to stay. This physical warmth lights hope for an inner warmth that I will have with family, especially during times of holidays and gatherings. Happy Sunday to everyone! 🌱
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It’s easier to notice the things that have already been hopeful in the past. You can look past the bad things happening and just concentrate on the things that are going well.
When I think of a quote by Joe Primo,
the connection between gratitude and hope
seems more apparent.
”Gratefulness is the buffer that keeps hope from falling into despair.”
As happy as I was today
planting my boxwoods and ajuga,
as grateful as I was
for a place to plant,
enough money to spend on the teeny tiny plants,
and a warmer day to do the work,
I didn’t experience a sense of hope.
It was there,
but not an active part of my experience.
Hope lies dormant on days like this,
perhaps because it is autumn
and the garden is settling in for a long, winter’s sleep
or because my expectations are not strong . . .
I think more in terms
of waiting to see what happens
in the spring.
The squirrels and the chipmunks
are busy
scouring the land and the bushes,
gathering nuts and berries for the winter,
not because they hope to have enough,
but because it is instinctively
what they do.
They take what comes
and neither complain
nor fall into despair . . .
they see the world in perhaps healthier terms than I.
In the languid days of summer
they come closer,
and sit in the palm of my hand,
stuffing peanuts into their cheeks . . .
sometimes
one will pause,
strip the shell off,
and eat one while they sit there,
little star feet warming my hand..
And then they are gone.
Do they store them for another day?
Or do they share them with their family for supper?
The wildlife takes things as they come
without judgment,
without taking the weather personally,
and without rancor.
Would that I could be
more like the chipmunks. ♥
I am working my way through the Bhagavad Gita, and your description of the squirrels and chipmunks doing their duty is such a great example of Yoga. They do their duty with no attachment or expectations, surrendering to the path of gathering food because it is the right thing to do. Perhaps if more humans did the same, it would allow more hope. Maybe? But hope for what? Does hoping for something mean we are attached to how we’d like things to be? Hmmm…. Now I’m thinking about how attachments, good or bad, keep us from liberation. Oh goodness. That’s a whole semester of philosophy 😂
”That’s a whole semester of philosophy.”
At LEAST a semester,
dear SunnyPatti!
I think about this a lot. ♥
You very eloquently state what I feel re this question, Sparrow. Thanks! 🍁
Namaste,
dear Mary . . .
we’re all in this together. ♥
In my life, there is so much to be grateful for. Most of it is right outside my door. Bringing awareness to my senses, brings me back to the present. And, doing this helps me to focus on what I have and is available to me right now. It steers me away from a scarcity mindset, and allows me to notice abundance. It’s that scarcity mindset that is really what I’m trying to steer away from.
”It’s that scarcity mindset that is really what I’m trying to steer away from.”
Me too,
dear Charlie . . .
practicing gratefulness
is like a vaccine against this kind of thinking. ♥
I create my life by how I perceive it. When I look for things to be grateful for it opens up more opportunities to experience all that I hope for.
Being grateful for the beauty of nature all around when opening the window blinds in the morning creates a positive start into the day, which might set the tone for the day ahead. In general, it creates more of a joyful, peaceful state of mind and emotions and hope is one of the positive qualities coming up more easily when gratefulness is present often during the day to come, as there is so much to be grateful for. Honoring dear friends today who had helped a lot these days with their kindness, understanding and compassion not only concerning my own momentary difficulties but towards many while we all met. It is their nature to be so kind. Blessings to them. Their being present had created hope for several participants. Thank you dearly.
Noticing “what I’m grateful for” brings me into the present moment and reminds me that the past is history that I can’t change and the future is mystery that I can’t know. What I can know in NOW–the present and how I live this moment can give me hope. I can choose to respond to the NOW not react. I can choose to respond to the NOW with love and compassion. I can choose to grow. Growing is the best I can offer to the world.
I’m recently aware of a new gratitude: my basic good health. I hope this continues now and going forward.
This present moment is transformative – I’m grateful for that . Thank you 🙏
The two parts of this question don’t connect for me as written. I’d say it’s noticing what makes me hopeful that makes me feel more grateful.
Noticing what I’m grateful for: This takes two forms for me. One is paying attention to what might otherwise be easy to take for granted. My husband making coffee for me every morning, hot water for my shower, food and shelter and love and a job that pays for things I need to survive and thrive.
The other is paying attention to the unexpected delights that come my way in every day. In my journal I write “Today’s delights–” at the top of a column I mark off with design and a different color of ink for that day. A delight might be the glorious butter-yellow tree we walked past the other day, its leaves glowing in the sunlight, or the feeling of freedom when I ride my bike, or eating oatmeal cookies I baked before we went on vacation and froze so we’d have treats when we got home. I find what I’m looking for and if I look for delights in any day, they’ll be there.
What makes me feel hopeful about the present moment: The actions and energy of so many people speaking up for freedom, community, rights that each and every one of us have under the Constitution, human rights to be who we are and love who we want. Biking with my husband to drop off our ballots yesterday and knowing hundreds of thousands of people–maybe millions–were voting alongside us across the country. Living in a state whose leaders stand up against tyranny.
I wrote a recent blog post about hope and optimism that opens with a quotation from Mariame Kaba: “Hope is a practice.” Gratefulness is also a practice. Paying attention–noticing–links all my practices. (https://biketoworkbarb.blogspot.com/2018/03/no-optimism-required.html)
Barb, It is a wonderful and inspiring blog post. I hope everyone takes time to read it. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Carol Ann!
“Hope is an act of defiance against a politics of pessimism and a culture of despair that depends on us not being able to imagine something better than where we are now.”
— Rabbi Sharon Brous
A wealth of inspiring and thought provoking quotes here,
dear Barb . . .
I couldn’t organize this Question for myself today
either. ♥
Gratefulness helps land me back in the present. Once present, I can tune into what feels right in the moment. I honestly have trouble placing hope into the scene, because it seems like a stake in a distant future–but being present does help me access surrender and faith. Still working on feeling my way into the shape of all these qualities: hope, surrender, acceptance, faith, humility, gratefulness. They seem of the same palette.
In my experience gratitude and hope are hand-holding partners. They do their best work together. It is not an either/or, but a both/and. I have hope AND I am grateful that I do – it makes a difference. Likewise, I am grateful AND that gives me hope – it makes a difference. If I find myself being ungrateful, I am likely likely losing hope for that situation. Is that what I want? If I find myself losing hope in a situation, perhaps it is because I have found nothing for which to be grateful, or have actively become ungrateful. For example…as long as I am grateful for my granddaughter, there is hope for a relationship. Similarly, if I am losing hope for a relationship with my granddaughter, perhaps it is because I have become ungrateful for her – not just some of her actions. (Not saying that is a real situation – just a little parable or allegory, if you please.)
I think,
dear Katrina,
that Gratitude
holds hands with more things
than I can mention . . .
thank you
for including ‘hope’. ♥
Katrina, it’s just like me with my business ventures. If I’m grateful for that, my influence will increase. Individual impowerment grows. People will feel more comfortable within their own skin rather than having to conform to collective standards.
Well said!
I am very grateful– more very relieved actually, to have a Sunday where I can sleep in, look outside now, see my neighbor’s pot of red geraniums and go for a walk to look at fall flowers now. I don’t have to rush frantically off to work as I. need to do Monday – Friday. I am going to have to trust that nurturing myself, having time to ponder my work challenges will bring some kind of calm as I step into my very challenging work week tomorrow.
I’m not sure what being grateful and makjng me” feel more hopeful about the present moment” means?.” I am happy about the present moment. Just not when I think of tomorrow.
Mabe, being able to sleep in is a relaxing feeling.
Yes, it is.
I am struggling to answer this question this morning. Reading it two or three times, I just felt there was an assumption that my hope is dependent upon my gratitude and I don’t feel that way. I began to write 2 different responses and they felt forced. A beautiful day to you each.🍁
Hey, thanks so much for being honest. Sometimes I find a lot of people’s responses to be to “virtuous”, and i can’t relate to them at all.
You are welcome, Maeve.🧡
Winter is coming, and I’m grateful for having a cozy place to stay. This physical warmth lights hope for an inner warmth that I will have with family, especially during times of holidays and gatherings. Happy Sunday to everyone! 🌱
Noticing what I’m grateful for is good energy, and good energy tends to being hopeful.
I sure hope so. That’s what I’m counting on.
It works for me… most of the time! May the good energy of gratitude allow us all to remain hopeful in some way 🙂