“We live in a time when being hopeful is a political statement. So strong is the tide of anxiety that rises around us that simply being unafraid seems radical and refusing to target others for blame seems somehow subversive.” – Steven Charleston
Hope is an act of resistance. And a life lived with hope is a life confusing to the fear-mongering media heads and the blame-dealing politicos who want only to profit from our anxious attention. A life lived with hope resists the religion of data that desires to reduce the meaning of life to what can be sold, stored, and sorted. A life lived with hope insists that individual agency and the unique experiences of a particular life matter.
Yes, the resistance of hope is not a wishy-washy dismissal of reality…but a necessary and sustaining practice that insists your life, the life of others, and the world we all share is a good, very good, gift.
Psychologist C.R. Snyder once developed a theory of hope that defines hope as having three main components: (1) Goal – a desired result, (2) Pathway – a plausible route to achieve the goal, (3) Agency – a belief that it can be accomplished.
Today, I invite you to reflect upon your life and this day. Take a moment and describe your hope for the day using Snyder’s three components. What is your primary goal for today? How can it be accomplished? When will you do it?
Shane Ash 