Sunday, June 20, 2010

Embrace Hopelessness



Today i was rereading a book called "When things fall apart- heart advice for difficult times". It's a book written by Pema Chodron, a buddhist nun. I am a Christian and will always be a Christian but i was still interested to read what she had to say.

In the book there is an entire chapter about embracing hopelessness. She says that to live a life of hope is to continually be unhappy with who and where you are. It's very hard for me to think of hope as a bad thing. I've always considered hope as one of our greatest gifts. It helps us get through tough times because we have a hope for something better. She continues on in the chapter and says that living with the  thought that we will finally get it all together is unrealistic, which I agree with. We are flawed from the beginning, we don't have the human ability to ever be totally perfect. She talks about how hope and fear are intimately related and says that hope comes from us feeling that we lack something... that we are in some sort of poverty. I think that i agree with the idea of being hopeless on a micro scale but not a macro one. As a Christian i believe that i have eternal security and look forward to heaven. I also see the dispair that comes with continually looking ahead. If we spend every moment planning this and planning that, thinking that when i graduate i will be happy, or when i get that job and so on and so on then we miss out on right now. That is where hopelessness is beneficial when we stop looking to the future to satisfy us then we can enjoy today. We can not think about what is to come and completely soak in every moment that we are living. So i encourage you to be hopless in the moment. Don't think about tommorrow or next week. Enjoy your life right now. Everyone knows the saying tommorrow never comes, well i firmly believe that. Live your best life right now!

Better Me Epiphany ~ be hopeless in the moment. Don't worry about who you are becoming enjoy who and where you are. You can still work to become better, just don't wait til you get there to smile.

Posted on the go!

3 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed that post. I see both sides of the story I suppose...
    One in that Hope is vital to our lives as Christians because it's the fulfillment of promises made and what's to come. Two in that hope can motivate us to MORE than what we would normally just settle for.
    But on the other hand, I too believe hopelessness can benefit our lives in that by "hoping FOR less" we are content with our current situation and circumstances and content to let the chips fall as they may. We are only promised the moment we are in so we should soak up as much joy in the moment as humanly possibly! I will take your challenge and try to leave with as much joy and peace in each moment that comes my way...staring now! Thanks Mark!

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  3. Glad you enjoyed. It was quite a struggle for me to wrap my head around that idea! we are in this new decision together!

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