Hope at the Spiritual Cafe

Yesterday I made my way to the spiritual cafe for some sharing of great minds and great hearts around the topic of hope.  How fitting, given I sleep with this hope pillow every night?!

I arrived at the cafe ripe and ready for a good discussion with my pillow in hand, and indeed I left with fresh insight and, you guessed it, HOPE.

Here were a couple of quotes from the discussion I especially liked:

1) "Never deprive someone of hope.  It might be all they have."  ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.  

I felt this quote reminded me of the huge impact we can have on each other, and especially the detrimental impact our words can have on children.  When I was in grade five I recall my teacher poking fun at me for talking so elaborately with my hands.  She made me sit on them when I spoke so they wouldn't be flailing in the air.  What she didn't realize was that my hand gestures were a way for me to express my deep passion and excitement for what I was speaking about.  I felt flattened.  I remember not talking as much in school after that experience.  Gratefully, I now happily lead workshops with lots of full felt expression. :o)

2) "Hope...is not a feeling; it is something you do." ~ Katherine Paterson

What I love about this quote is the call for taking responsibility for one's life.  It makes me want to make a t-shirt that says, "I do hope!".  This quote sparked my first "ah-ha" of the afternoon.

Insight # 1: Hope is a state of being, from which all action stems.  (hey, that can be my quote!)  As I see it, hope is always innately within each of us and can be used as a tool for manifesting your destiny.  The pitfall lies in attaching to specific outcomes, as we can make all the plans in the world and then life happens.  Hope is about being open to what we can not predict.  The less we can invest in a particular outcome, the more open we are to infinite possibilities.

Insight # 2: When feeling hopeless, and likely we have all been there at some point, this can be viewed as a signal for the need for change and/or a new understanding of one's situation.

Insight # 3:  Hope creates intention and intention creates hope.  As I see it, when one is being hope there is space for new intentions to be born.  Likewise, when one creates an intention, this breeds a sense of hope.

I was amazed by the depth of conversation that transpired in relation to hope.  Too, I loved hearing all the different perspectives from various people in the group.  When a bunch of minds and hearts gather, expansion is inevitable.  I look forward to more wonderful discussions and idea sharing; it is surely a great way to create and sustain community.  Thanks to Sarah, Serina, and Robert for your consistency in organizing these lovely little events.