Hope for the
Future
“I find hope in the
darkest of days, and focus on the brightest. I do not judge the
universe.” The Dalai Lama
With Christmas behind us,
let us turn our attention to the new year that is fast approaching.
Every year, I make resolutions that I've yet to fulfill. I don't know
why I do it because it's the kiss of death for every single one of
them. I think, at this stage of life, I understand that to be a
function of “uncontrolled variables.” Life is like a scientific
experiment, you see. You start out with a hypothesis, lay out your
plan of experimentation, and, to the best of your ability, control
all the variables that might impact the results. Only with life, that
never works. There is no way to predict the variables that life will throw at you—and some of them are happy, so you don't want to
control too much. I said to my friend recently, “Just about the
best you can do is to get up in the morning, pull up you britches,
and meet the day on its own terms.” To do anything more is an
exercise in frustrations.
So this year, I will have
a list of “hopes” for the new year. Since I tend to be the
eternal optimist, I believe that hope is the best of all virtues.
Hope doesn't try to control all the variables, it only steers you
through the worst of them and helps you to see the best. Hope is a
living thing that comes on little cat feet and sits upon your
threshold until you relent and take it in. When you do, it will be your
very best friend. Hope will see you through many a troubled and stormy
voyage. I have hope for the future because I know some young people
who are going to make the world a better place for us all. They have
the wisdom and the ability, the drive and the courage, and what could
be better than that?
I have hope that 2014 is
going to be a better year than 2013, in ways that have nothing to do
with capitalism and economics. I think we have a potent spiritual
leader in the new Pope, and a turning-of-the-tide of bitterness and
revenge in world affairs. People are weary of war and
politics-as-usual. My hope is that we can stop putting our faith in
guns and bombs and instead, trust the deep yearning in human hearts
for peace and fellowship. Young people all around the world
understand that this is one planet, belonging to one people, and we
must learn to live together in mutual respect if any of us is to
prosper. I have hope that they will prevail.
We can join with the
Dalai Lama in non-judgment of the universe. Whether we see it or not,
whether or not all the variables are controlled, the universe is
unfolding as it should, and we can have hope for the future.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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