Читать книгу The Woman's Book of Hope - Eileen Campbell - Страница 17

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so that you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.

—MAYA ANGELOU

Once we've set our internal compass toward a vision of a better future, there is less chance of us coming unstuck, even if we experience setbacks. We're buoyed up by hope, having faith in our dream, and even the smallest of events seems imbued with possibility. Instead of doubting and being fearful, we're able to use all our ingenuity and imagination to fathom out how to reach our goals. We've made a commitment to this undertaking, and we intend to see it through. As the poet Langston Hughes, the leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”

According to psychologist Charles R. Snyder, who came up with the “Hope Theory,” those of us who have hope have the will and determination to reach our goal, as well as the strategies to get there. Hope enables us to believe that we have the capacity to attain the future we've envisaged.

When the commitment to our vision is total, to the extent that we cannot turn back, we can move forward. When fully committed, we achieve the seemingly impossible because not only does commitment give us the necessary energy and self-belief, but we're also fueled by the unexpected help that always follows as an inevitable result. Goethe, the great German Romantic writer, described this process:

Until one is committed

there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back,

always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiation (and creation)

there is one elementary truth

the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

That the moment one definitely commits oneself

Then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one

That would never otherwise have occurred.

A whole stream of events issues from the decisions

Raising in one's favor all manner

Of unforeseen incidents and meetings

And material assistance

Which no man could have dreamt

Would come his way.

We can also be inspired by what others have achieved, even against great odds, for it enables us to realize we are not alone in this process of trying to hold on to our ideals. Believing in ourselves, we can value the life we've lived so far that has given us experience and understanding. Knowing that our time on earth is limited, we can focus on our priorities and harness the power of intention. As our awareness develops, the life force can flow through us, and we can more easily access opportunities. While staying grounded, we also keep the faith and hold on to our ideals.