Hope does not provide assurances, but it does help in finding strength and direction in adversity.
Whether we are challenged with conflict in a relationship or workplace, or considering the social or political conflicts of our times, hope allows for possibility, just as crisis allows for opportunity and vital new ways for growth and resolution. This may take the form of a child challenging parental authority, a boss reviewing one’s work poorly or a nation unsuoportive of one’s values. To be human is to experience conflict. How we handle conflict, loss and disappointment informs the changes we make.
The historian Howard Zinn comments Human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, courage and kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives’. Our individual hope not only supports our personal choices, but engages people to have collective hope and collaborate in our shared values and endeavors to care for the world.
Addressing conflict can feel overwhelming. As individuals, we can start with small steps. Every step has value and meaning. Whether we choose to reach out to an estranged relative, engage in environmental activism, work with refugees or devote time to understanding a particular conflict, we are making the choice to improve not only our own lives, but those of others.
