Holding HOPE Along with Other Emotions

I’m feeling more Hopeful than I have for the last few weeks, feeling it come naturally as opposed to it being a difficult thing to muster and choose.  As we say in my friend’s Laughter Yoga circle, “Very good.  Very good.  YAY!” 

In truth, our emotional states ebb and flow as mine have done over the last few weeks.  I’ve been trying to figure out how to deal with that, how to allow the other emotions – the ones I don’t particularly want to feel, like sadness, disappointment, anger, and depression.  How to listen to them, harness them, and allow them to motivate me – all while still holding onto Hope. 

I don’t know what to share about this except that it’s dynamic.  I had to get past trying to deny the existence of those darker, heavier emotions and allow them to be present.  I listened to a fabulous podcast this week about Befriending Your Emotions that helped a lot.  You can access it here.  https://resources.soundstrue.com/podcast/karla-mclarenmaking-friends-with-anxiety-and-all-of-your-emotions/  After that I journaled about all of what I was feeling and what those emotions might be telling me.  Allowing and listening to them was a huge part of moving through them.  Karla McLaren who was featured in the podcast says that emotions are part of our cognition, how we process the world around us.  And each one of them has a special genius it offers us.  That’s been much of my journey over the last few weeks. 

That and trying to figure out how I want to show up in what feels to me like a very dark time.  The quotes I shared last week from Vaclav Havel about Hope being a state of mind, not a state of the world and Hope inspiring action because something is the right thing to do, not necessarily because the cause is likely to succeed were instrumental for me in turning a corner. I’ve grounded myself in Hope for a better future by committing in the long term to taking action to realize that future and am trying to let go of attachment to the results.  Acting to help others and build a more compassionate world is the right thing to do, even if we don’t ultimately succeed.  I believe we can and will do everything I can to make it so. 

I’m also trying to hold myself with some grace right now.  Despite all the good intentions I believe I have, I also am noticing my imperfection, my inability to live into the values I claim.  I read a really impactful  article this week that put authenticity and sincerity as opposite ends of a continuum. According to Adam Grant, the article’s author, authenticity is about knowing and expressing our true selves.  Sincerity is about living into the ideal self we express, or as Grant describes it in the article, “earning the values we claim”.    If you’re interested in the article, it’s available here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dangers-being-authentic-adam-grant/ 

So, while in the past I’ve felt bold in expressing the values I feel in my heart, I am now sitting with whether I am earning those values through my thoughts and actions.  My friends on this journey of Hope, what are you sitting with right now?  What questions are you holding that are helping you navigate this turbulent and challenging time?

With Love and Hope,

Colleen