In philosophy class we are currently discussing hope and I was really rubbed the wrong way when it was represented in a negative light. We were discussing how hope can be just as damaging as fear and how attachment to hope is dangerous. because it can remove us from our higher selves and trap us in our ego minds. At first I rejected this because to me hope isn’t dangerous it’s beautiful. But then I became curious as to why others were firmly relating to this concept and I realised that the way hope is practiced by others in the group is very much so like an expectation. In that sense, I agree that hope can be dangerous as it’s fuelled by a narrative of the ego that is driving a very specific outcome.
But to me hope is not really an expectation more than it is a wish. It’s not a guaranteed outcome more than it is putting the best intentions out there and knowing that what comes will be what is best. Hope for me is diluted with trust, faith and acceptance. I can’t really tell you where each starts and ends as for me they’re all interconnected concepts that require a bit of each other to make sense. I learned a lot about hope in 2020 as I had set it as my intention word. Prior to that point I never really had a relationship with hope, I feared it because I thought it was about expecting something that was not possible. But the more time I spent practicing hope, the more I realised that it’s not about the expectation because that’s the story that comes with thinking hope, rather, it’s the feeling that floods you and gives you the will to keep on going.
During my time practicing hope, what stood out to me was the level of acceptance that is required but also the level of strength necessary to challenge every limiting belief that makes you suffer. For me hope has been the most helpful tool to keep on going on my Soul Journey, to unpack what is in order to find the truth. I think the main distinction between how I view hope vs how it was discussed in class, is the balance between desiring good things but not being attached to them.
It is true that even hope can distract us from a spiritual journey, if we are not practicing it in balance and through observation and not desperation. Hope can be used as a tool to help us seek the light, but it can also make us attached to the story of what that light looks like, when it will come, where it will come and what it will feel like and how it would be sourced. But if you let go of all of that and just observe what hope feels like, that’s where the power lies. When you breath hope in and allow it to sit in your body, you recognise that where you are now is not permanent and trust that where you will go will best for you. Notice I didn’t say better, because that is not a given and that is a narrative of the mind. The thing about life is that all our experiences are connected to the journey we must take. If you believe in god you trust that no matter what the path, god is always equipping you with the tools you need on your way.
So, where does that leave me now? I think that being challenged is helpful. It’s allowed me to question my own motives and beliefs and it’s given me a conscious outlook on how I practice hope. I don’t have to align with the belief of others, even if they were ‘wise’, at the end of the day every human experience is individual to them and the words we use are semantics that are subjective to us. Getting attached to ‘my’ view of hope vs ‘their’ view is a trap that the mind plays in order to distract me from the core practice which is ultimately letting go of attachments and beliefs that don’t serve me.
Love Always,
M
Souloom™ 