Hope can be tricky

I just want spring to come after the winter.

Years ago I saw this in a gallery, carved into a piece of wood.

It stopped me in my tracks.

Attributed to the Russian dissident Yelena Bonner, it says something so simple.

"I want things to get better".

The essence of hope.

As one year turns to another, it's a natural time to look ahead with the same sense of hope.

But hope can be tricky.

If you're not careful, it can disempower you.

For the gesture of hope is one of uplift.

Urging you onward and upward to new and better things.

This feels good but if you’re not careful it leaves you ungrounded.

And if you want to do something real, you need your feet on the ground.

So do you give up on hope?

No.

Hope tells you what you care about.

It points the way.

But you can keep your feet on the ground at the same time.

You can practice a kind of grounded hope.

Keeping one eye on practical matters whilst listening to that voice of inspiration.

Allow yourself to dream.

And do what you can to make it happen.

Want to find out more? Feel free to send me an email or schedule a free conversation about mindfulness coaching.