The Kind of World We Long for So Much It Hurts
“Whatever situation we face, we can choose our response. When facing overwhelming challenges, we might feel that our actions don’t count for much. Yet the kind of responses we make, and the degree to which we believe they count, are shaped by the way we think and feel about hope. Here’s an example.
Jane cared deeply about the world and was horrified by what she saw happening. She regarded human beings as a lost cause, as so stuck in our destructive ways that she saw the complete wrecking of our world as inevitable. ‘What’s the point of doing anything if it won’t change what we’re heading for?’ she asked.
The word hope has two different meanings. The first involves hopefulness, where our preferred outcome seems reasonably likely to happen. If we require this kind of hope before we commit ourselves to an action, our response gets blocked in areas where we don’t rate our chances too high. This is what happened for Jane – she felt so hopeless she didn’t see the point of even trying to do anything.
The second meaning is about desire. When Jane was asked what she’s like to have happen in our world, without hesitation she described the future she hoped for, the kind of world she longed for so much it hurt. It is this kind of hope that starts our journey – knowing what we hope for and what we’d like, or love, to take place. It is what we do with this hope that really makes the difference. Passive hope is about waiting for external agencies to bring about what we desire. Active Hope is about becoming active participants in bringing about what we hope for.”
— Joanna Macy, 2012
Environmental activist
Chris Johnstone
Resilience trainer

Today’s Invitation
Become an active participant in bringing about what you hope for the world.
This Week’s Query
How do you keep up your energy to make a difference in the face of climate crisis?
What spiritual practices give you strength?
Banner image: Gillian Pokalo
Read the source of today’s quote
Authors
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Joanna Rogers Macy is an environmental activist, author, and scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology. She is the author of twelve books. She was married to the late Francis Underhill Macy, the activist and Russian scholar who founded the Center for Safe Energy.
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Christ Johnstone is a specialist trainer for resilience and wellbeing. After working for many years as a doctor and addictions specialist in the UK health service, he now focuses on coaching, mentoring, writing and training, particularly through online courses at The College of Wellbeing.
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