Hope I can Agree With

Hope is necessary in order to have any kind of happiness, and I think I've lost it. I am unable to contemplate any dream of a better future without being washed in an overwhelming sense of dread and sadness. I need to find a new entry into hope.

Agenda:

1. Read "Intrinsic Hope"
2. New narrative for being present
3. Ongo journal

1. Read "Intrinsic Hope":

I'm just starting this book by Kate Davies (2018), with the subtitle, Living courageously in troubled times. She talks about what she calls the global eco-social crisis, and how everything interconnected: biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, climate disruption, invasive species, pollution, overpopulation, over harvesting, agricultural and lumber practices, housing and infrastructure, water scarcity, poverty, unemployment, fascism and racism - all the environmental problems and their social, cultural, and economic contexts.

"Hopelessness leads to paralysis and inaction, guaranteeing that things will continue to get worse. To stop this downward spiral, we urgently need to uncover a realistic sense of hope and find ways to nurture it."

I had to skip forward to find a practice to start with. Chapter 4 is Being Present, which is the first habit of hope. "In these magical moments when we are completely engaged with what is happening, we forget our sense of self. ... In the intensity of direct experience, the self dissipates like the morning mist revealing the sacred and the numinous. For me, this experience is indescribably hopeful."

2. New narrative for being present:

One of my weekly Creative Perspective tasks is to define a new narrative to re-frame a mind-set and expand my thinking. Today I'm working on a plan for Being Present.

Joy often arises when we stop trying to control experiences, fix situations, or manage time, allowing spontaneity and play to occur. This is the practice of embracing the unexpected: Joy is frequently found in moments that take us by surprise, crossing into our lives when we are least prepared.

"I will reduce the time I spend distracted phone games and bring myself often to an awareness of the present moment so I don't miss out on the best parts of life."