Viewing the past and the choppy present with a dark lens is easy. It is especially so given the media’s constant churning despair, fed to us in up to the minute increments. The bad news is in the air, and as the old saying goes, like calls to like. What is dark in the environment will inevitably stir up what lies within the soul, not so well buried as once thought. The overdue bills, uncertainty about work, stressful relationships made more so by strain tend to color what is seen, and make it seem that we need to join in the miserable Greek chorus.
It doesn’t have to be. This is the absolute truth of the universe: good will out. Allow yourself to dwell on hope, and listen to the smallest voice within you that whispers it is possible. Shelter it, and give it all of your attention. All of it. Ignore hopelessness, and it will wither and fall away from your shoulders. Put your hands to work; they will tell you whether they want, be it a pen, or paint, water, wood, or deep, rich earth. You will know when you have found your medium—everyone is born with at least one, some with many. You will know your own if you learn to listen.
It isn’t easy at first to tune out the doom, but it grows easier exponentially—good will out. That which is right will start to appear more clearly, almost as if it is more real than the other. The negative will lose some of its pull, and it is possible to hear the false notes, the misguided “logic” the senselessness of its message. Once the wizard is uncloaked, it is no longer possible for it to mislead you, unless you allow it to regain its hold. Practice listening for what is true.
This is not to minimize or ignore your current circumstances. Facing personal responsibilities is part of the process, necessary for us to survive. However, it is still not only possible but imperative to keep hold of hope, and use it as the compass to guide your plan. Learning to look at your personal situation in a new light may be the way through that you never thought existed. At the end of all of the darkness lies a whole new way of seeing. Sometimes a terrible situation even speeds up the process, forcing new growth and providing you with a future that is amazingly bright.
We are all able to find good, even in the darkest despair. In the middle of abuse, neglect, and abject poverty there still exists a power unimaginable in the human spirit. Those of us who are through the roughest circumstances need to turn to our neighbors and discover how we can lift them up. Listen to one another, and share the goodness you have found. We must rise above being suspicious of people with good news! The human spirit knows no religion, no sect, no race, or name. It doesn’t need a label, which means that it is accessible to everyone. There are no limits in connection between people when talking about the human spirit. Reach out to anyone, anyone at all, and see what you can accomplish.
It starts today, this minute. It starts with you.
