A friend of mine asked me “where do you go for hope?” He was feeling hopeless at the time. I don’t know why, but his question resonated with me.
This is where I go for hope.
I go to AA meetings for hope. This never fails me. I go because I hear other people sharing their experience, strength and hope. They give that hope away for free.
We regularly have 1000 years of sobriety in attendance at my home group. There are a few people with 40+ years of sobriety, and at least 20 people with 30+ years sober. That is incredibly hopeful for me. How could I not get hope from sitting in a room of people with that much sobriety?
I go to my sponsor for hope. My sponsor is a hopeful man. He always finds a way to find light in a situation. His attitude and outlook on life are contagious.
I know I need to call him when I don’t want to call him. When I am feeling blue, I know it is time to pick up the phone and listen to his joy.
I go to my family for hope. My wife and daughters are hopeful people. They believe in positive things. They believe that their actions and their words can make a difference in the lives of other people. As I write this, the three of them are participating in the democratic process, and knocking on peoples doors. They believe that what they are doing will make a difference in the next elections.
I go to work for hope. You might be surprised that I included this. But I did. I work for a small healthcare company that is developing medicines for the treatment of rare diseases. There are some very smart people who work at this company.
Have you ever heard the expression “we aren’t trying to cure cancer here”? The people that I work with are trying to cure cancer. They could be making more money doing something else, but they believe that they are contributing to the greater good by doing exactly what they are doing right now.
How could I not be inspired by that?
I go to the gym for hope. The gym that I go to is full of people who work hard every time they go there. They believe that their lives will be better if they work hard at their physical fitness. I was skeptical the first time I went, but that work ethic is infectious. I can’t help but work hard when I am in a gym full of other people working hard.
I go to my dog for hope. My dog is the eternal optimist. He is full of unconditional love. He has a precious soul. One hour at the park is the highlight of his day, maybe his week.
Going to the park with him might be the highlight of my week, too.
Where do you go for hope?
With love,
The Recovering Urchin
