I have always loved the Superman movies. Especially the ones with Christopher Reeve as Superman. I don’t know whether it was his acting or his honest eyes that made me love the wonderful actor. Christopher Reeve, who played Superman, became paralyzed from the neck down after a horse riding accident.
When asked about life and hope he said: “Once you choose hope anything’s possible.” ~ Christopher Reeve
Amazingly, it is often those facing the greatest adversity in life who show us ways of accessing the greatest hope.
Although we use the word hope frequently in our daily life, how we use it is also interesting.
How often do we say?
- I hope so
- I feel hopeful
- I hope things work out
- I hope you’re feeling better
- I’m hoping for good weather.
We talk about having hope for the future and the need to instill hope in our children. When times are bleak we reinforce hope within our families through love, commitment and time.
The simplest definition of hope is expectation, trust, anticipation, optimism. To have hope is to dream, to aspire, to plan, to have faith, to take chances, to prospect, to believe in superb likelihoods and possibilities. Hope is a sense of renewal, a confident desire, a looking forward, a feeling that something awesome is likely to happen.
What is the opposite of hope?
The opposite of hope is despair –In despair hope seems lost.
We believe that good things happen for others but never to us. We feel hopless, alone, uncertain. Our expectations leave us and our existence feels limited. With limited expectations hope is limited. With a limited sense of self, our hope is limited.
Healing with Hope
“Hope is always available to us. When we feel defeated, we need only take a deep breath and say, “Yes,” and hope will reappear.” ~ Monroe Forester
While I was shifting home to a new city, I was caught in a fierce storm of emotions, problems and hurdles, which were hindering me finding the ‘right’ home for us in the new city. The storm was frightening in its intensity, mirroring my inner fears of moving homes, of beginning again.
As it became impossible to see, I was forced to breakdown one night and there I wept out my fears as I waited for the worst of the deluge to depart.
In my despair my focus was on the darkness – of all I was losing, of all I didn’t know and couldn’t see ahead. I remember thinking that both the outer conditions and my inner thoughts resembled a long black tunnel with no light at the end. Eventually my heart felt at peace and I fell exhausted into sleep.
Imagine then, my surprise the next morning when I discovered the house I was to rent(the 45th one I saw in a span of one week, with my real-estate broker) lay bathed in sunshine, amidst a glorious garden awash with scented peace and beauty. I entered the home and said ‘yes! this is it!’
Then it occurred to me that while I was weeping my fears in the darkness, this glorious home was already waiting for me, just around the corner, just out of sight, but already there – already a part of my future reality.
It also made me realize, that HOPE is never really lost. I thought in my darkest hour that there was no hope…but my heart new better and let me sleep over it.
Seeing Beyond is Hope
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama
To hope is to risk pain. But the reward is a more positive, happier and healed life.
Its best to let go of your attachment to the outcome!
While we are deciding and controlling the end result, we don’t allow the monumental field of possibilities that is open to us just beyond our vision.
As I mentioned before about actor Christopher Reeve, here is what he did with his HOPE: Although he required a wheelchair and breathing apparatus for the rest of his life after his accident, he lobbied on behalf of people with spinal-cord injuries and for human embryonic stem cell research, founding the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. To read more about his life and works click here.
For me, having my hope, fully realized, is to accept where I am now – in the present – the power of NOW. The paradox is that as I fully accept where I am now, I can begin to hope for the brightest most positive future. Healing then comes more naturally.
Where there is hope there is healing.
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” ~ Dale Carnegie
What are your thoughts on this topic? Are you a HOPE FULL person? How has HOPE helped you in your life and what has it made you realize? Do share your wisdom in the comments below. I’d love to hear your glorious thoughts on this hope full topic.
Please Note: In the last post after announcing happily that I’d be writing about ‘infidelity’ , my inbox was flooded with MORE emails on the same issue. Hence the post I was writing needs more work to address every aspect of this topic. As soon as I’m done I’ll post it here. Stay tuned!
With Immense Love & Gratitude,
~Zeenat~
Counseling Psychologist/ Spiritual Counselor
Motivational Speaker/Naturopath
Holistic Healer/Writer
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Hello Zeenat,
I think at a time when there is so much turmoil for so many people on this planet today, there is perhaps no more important topic than THIS – hope. Yes, some people are great at consciously creating their lives, knowing that there is no bad that does not work out for the best, attracting all that they want and knowing that everything is always okay…..BUT many more either don’t know or apply these aspects to their life and this is where HOPE, no matter who you are, or how your life is, is one of the most beautiful things to have and keep in your life always. Because as that quote you shared from Reeve goes, once we have hope, truly anything is possible!
Anyhow great post and I am super happy to hear that you did not lose hope and found just the right home for your next life chapter 🙂
Dear Evita,
So lovely seeing you here after so long. Youre so right, in this day and age, no matter who you are or what youre going through…Hope is the best healing balm.
I’m now settled in my new home…happily too!
Thank you for your beautiful comment here.
Much love~
Zeenat ~ totally loved your post!!
So inspirational especially the part of letting go of the attachment to the outcome!
I’ve socialized it everywhere.
xoxo,
Eren
Hi Eren,
Youre such a doll! Thank you for all your love and support. I totally love your comment here.
Much love~
Hi Zeenat….As far as Christopher Reeves, although he was absolutely gorgeous in Superman, it was after he became paralyzed that his inner beauty and purpose on this earth emanated from his soul.
Zeenat, thanks so much for sharing your personal story. A friend of mine described a similar one. You know the saying \’The earth provides?\’ You have evidence of it in that instance.
Personally, I know despair. It is a prison…a feeling that everything is bleak and there is no way out. Hope is the opposite of that. When used with a specific intent, gives form to our dreams.
As always, you inspire. Blessings and love…Fran
Darling Fran,
I completely agree with you…Reeves truly beauty did shine through after his accident. Hope can be a marvelous motivator 🙂
I’m so glad we are both out of the hopelessness prison…yay us!
Thank you for your loving comment here.
Much love~
Love this post! I too believe that no matter what the circumstance there is always hope. And you only need the tiniest spark of hope to set alight your life!
Hi Carolyn,
Welcome to Positive Provocations! Awesome seeing you here.
That tiny spark is the creator of many a magnificent things 🙂
May your hope fly higher and higher.
Thank you for you lovely comment here.
Much love~
Christopher Reeve’s book, Still Me, is one of the most inspirational things I’ve ever read in my whole life. I’m not kidding when I say that it saved my life. It gave me hope and strength to keep living when I felt like I had nothing left to live for. Thank you for sharing his message, and for bringing your own message of hope to the world.
Dearest Jay,
Wow! Now i got to get me that book. I have read some of his work…which was really inspiring. But saving your life…just from your updated online i know youre now in a good place now.
Well i’m happy youre saved…God knows we need lovely souls like you in this world.
Thank you for your heart warming comment here.
Much love~
I think hope keeps us alive, Zeenat. Sometimes it is all we can hold on to, but the strength of our faith helps us achieve things that may not otherwise have been able to.
Hope springs eternal. And it should.
Love, Vidya
A wonderful article. It’s taken me years to realize it’s better to not focus on the outcome and to experience more fully what is in the present. That is how I have found my hope.
Powerfully inspirational Zeenat. Hope is what has kept me going through too many dark days in my life…and through hope there was always a glimmer of light, no matter what.
Thanks for this lovely reminder.
Elle
xoxo
This is a marvelous post. I especially loved this line, “While we are deciding and controlling the end result, we don’t allow the monumental field of possibilities that is open to us just beyond our vision.” Thank you!
My friend has taken care of a paraplegic for 20 some years now. He is the most remarkable person that she has ever known. From what I know of him can marvel at what he has done with his life since the accident. The strength that can come from ones gracious interior solitude can be so transformational.
I put this multiple quotaion message together:
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. We must not wish for the disappearance of our troubles but for the grace to transform them. A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams. No prisoner within this cell of self I do leave each day to live openly my abundant hope.”
~Dali Lama
~Simone Weil
~John Barrymore
~Rand 🙂
Thank you Zeenat!
Loved this : “while I was weeping my fears in the darkness, this glorious home was already waiting for me, just around the corner, just out of sight, but already there – already a part of my future reality.”
It can seem hard to hold on to hope as time goes by, and nothing seems to be turning for the better. But to connect to hope gives us the energy continue, and allows us something far better than what we would have had without it. So so often, something incredible is just around the corner.
Zeenat,
I found this to be one of the most powerful pieces of this post: “For me, having my hope, fully realized, is to accept where I am now – in the present – the power of NOW. The paradox is that as I fully accept where I am now, I can begin to hope for the brightest most positive future. Healing then comes more naturally.” It’s a wonderful paradox but so true that acceptance bring transformation and that’s where hope lies! Thank you for the inspiration.
You have hit on just the right balance of holding onto hope while not being attached to the outcome.
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