Being Present Part 2 _ Hope

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

I know that for so many of us our present is filled with struggle, exhaustion, and fear. Our present is overwhelmed by such life issues as employment, housing, bills, schedules, relationships, and negative emotions. There is so much going on that there is very little room for hope to blossom. Yet, hope and faith are the keys to moving out of life's storms. The future should only exist in our present as hope.

When we are in the middle of life's storms it can seem endless. But as this quote says, negative situations are finite because all situations have an ending. Sometimes we don't notice the ending because at its end there often begins a different aspect of our journey. Hope moves us forward. It helps us to see past the turbulence of the negatives in our present.

Hope can be defined as seeking or expecting a positive outcome. Hope propels us to action only when we believe a positive outcome is likely to happen. Hope is the beginning of faith. Where hope is seeking a positive outcome, faith comes from having experienced a positive outcome. This allows us to face the struggle or negativity of our present because we know it will not last. This “faith” is another way that we find peace in our present.

There is another perspective on the serenity prayer that I have worked hard to accept in my life.

Peace is accepting things as they are, not the way I think they should be. I added to that quote by saying once we accept how things are the next question for us is “Now What?”

Being present means accepting what is and then asking, “Now what?” Acceptance brings peace because it removes the stress of having to fix everything right now. Often the best answer to “Now what?” is “Be still”. My favorite scripture is Psalms 46:10 “Be still and Know that I am God” I use it in my practice as a “Be still and Know” moment.

Be still: Be quiet, rest, be present, be empty (later blog), be grounded, most importantly, be you.

Know: I am (all by itself), I am safe, I am content, I am joyous, I am healthy, etc.

The first “Be still” allows you to unplug for the chaos of life, even if just for a moment.

The second part “Know” is being present and evaluating the positives in your life. It is also part of our life’s journey in general.

Here at The Rapha Space our goal is to help you find ways to “be still” so that you can “know”. Many of us are driven to action by negative past experiences that are directing our lives on a subconscious level. Exploring these experiences on a conscious level helps us to “know” and in our knowing, heal.