It is easy to give up hope. We read about corruption and feel cheated. We read about hate and violence, and feel anger and fear. We wonder how the world will get better, and count our blessings for just being safe. According to most of the news, the world is a pretty bad place to be.
It is easy to give up hope, but we must not. The power of thought is greater than you can imagine. Thoughts of hope can cut through the haze of fear and anguish. Hope has carried humankind through the darkest of days and hope will prevail now. Our desire for survival overcomes our fears about tomorrow and we persist.
You are not alone in your search for hope. Our mass consciousness has been in shock for years and the strain is showing. Security is tighter everywhere and we have conformed to rules. Every day, we read about people dying before their time, their lives taken for some cause or reason. The death of masses shocks us to the core, but it is the death of individuals that has the most impact.
I find solace in the knowledge that light feels better than dark. I have loved and I have hated and love feels better. I have both scorned and supported and supporting feels better. Courage feels better than fear, healing feels better than harming and happiness feels better than sorrow. Most people have experienced a range of emotions and know which ones feel better. In our actions, there is a knowing that goes deeper than conscience.
The most important aspect of retaining hope is the ability to return to the moment. Realize that all thoughts about past and future are simply brain waves and shut them down for the moment. Adjust your posture, take a deep breath, and balance your energy. Begin to understand the workings of your intellect. Observe the world around you with clear eyes and quiet mind.
From your quiet moment of peace, all thoughts are initiated. Both hope and despair are constructs of your mind, created by the thoughts that are given priority. Any evaluation is judgment and the good or bad of any situation can be debated. All that really matters is your choice to create feelings of hope or feelings of despair.
I choose hope. It feels better.
Transformation Exercises
1. Move into meditative state and stop all mind chatter for one full minute.
2. Once the mind is quieted, maintain awareness of your thoughts. If required, shift your thoughts in a direction that feels good.
3. Maintain thoughts of hope and joy for ten minutes.
Excerpted from Soulwork 101: A New Age Guide to Personal Transformation by Glenn Stewart Coles
©Copyright 2009, 2015 Glenn Stewart Coles
Hopeful Angel by Nikki Hatsune
