How to Have Hope in Times of Uncertainty
On the rare occasion that I get out of the house these days, I have been trying to make it a habit of just taking a look around. Don’t worry; I am still paying attention to the road (mostly). But in all seriousness, as I have been forces to slow down I have realized that I typically rush from place to place so quickly that I never really take the time to actually see my surroundings.
It’s almost as if instead of looking at my surrounding, I am looking through them… to what I have to do, or where I have to be, next.
And since I am pretty much never in a rush to get anywhere these days, I thought I’d take advantage.
Gosh, I live in a beautiful city.
It’s been almost two years since we moved here and though there are things that I am still not used to (fire ants, humidity so thick you can taste it, pine pollen that coats everything like snow), it really is incredibly beautiful.
And not just the city.
The people in it, as well.
On one such journey to the outside world, there was this sign stuck in the middle of a grassy corner just outside a gas station that said:
Hope’s not cancelled.
You know those moments where everything just suddenly stops and you have this perfect sense of clarity? This was one of those moments for me.
I realized that through this pandemic the conversations have been that of anxiety, helplessness, overwhelm, fear, and uncertainty. And while these are all important conversations to have, especially in order to support each other in the management of these emotions, I hadn’t ever really stopped to consider the existence of hope.
As I sat at the stop light just after seeing this sign I started to think about the idea of hope. How did it feel? What does it change? How does it fit into our lives, especially when things are so hard as they are right now for so many people? How could I even talk about hope in an impactful and meaningful way?
When I got home I decided to google “hope” and see what came up.
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one’s life or the world at large.
Three things are clear to me:
- Considering what we have going on in the world, hope is not easily had.
- Hope is something that has to be felt, intentionally.
- Hope may be a feeling, but it is first a decision.
There is nothing about our current circumstance that we had any say in: It was not our decision to lose our jobs, get sick, lose loved ones. It was not our decision to never be able to leave the house. It was not our decision to become full-time stay-at-home moms & dads as well as full-time working mom & dads.
We do have a say in how we respond.
“I wish none of this had happened.” – Frodo
“So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.” – Gandalf
So how to we feel hope in times of uncertainty when we don’t have it for ourselves?
First, know that you…
…can be anxious and still have hope.
…can face uncertainty and still have hope.
…can be sick and still have hope.
This is not an “if X than Y” scenario.
Second, look to those around you: friends, family, even strangers. Make an intentional effort to see how others are adding joy and support to those around them. The human that placed the sign on that grassy corner will never know the impact that simple act had on my life at this time.
Hope’s not cancelled, {{ subscriber.first_name }}. Not for me, not for you.
Hope is not cancelled.
All my love and support,
Elle
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P.S. Many of you ask who I look to for inspiration and hope. Here are my favorites right now:
1. Dave Hollis and Rachel Hollis – a dynamic duo doing amazing things in the world.
@mrdavehollis and @msrachelhollis
2. Kelsey Murphy – Mom, entrepreneur, feeler of deep feelings and the girl you want o be besties with.
@kelseymurphy on Instagram or her Whiskey & Work Podcast
3. Glennon Doyle – Author, speaker, super bad-ass woman.
