"To have Christian hope means to know about evil and yet go to meet the future with confidence."- Pope Benedict XVI
I attended the funeral of my best friend's mother this past weekend. The loss of loved ones can often leave us feeling lost. The world can seem dark and our lives can feel pointless. Death tends to cause us to look for meaning and purpose. Hope is the answer. Hope is knowing the future will be better than the present. So to have hope we mush have future goals, a belief those goals are possible, and have a path to attain them. Without hope, we may become depressed and hopeless. Fr. Mike Schmitz says , "Hope is almost always connected to action." He says hope is not simply optimism, although optimism can be a good thing, it is almost always useless when needed the most. Too many of us spend our days wishing for a better future, and wishing is just another form of hopelessness. To have hope is to have meaning and action is required. He tells a story of a former military man captured during Vietnam, Since he was of high ranking he was tortured more and and was in the POW camp for 8 years. When asked how he survived when so many other succumbed, he replied. "Oh that's easy." The optimists said, "We will be out by Christmas" then, "we will be out by Easter", then "Thanksgiving". And when the time came and went, they died of a broken heart. He and the others fought "to live". They acted and had a clear fundamental purpose and belief. What do you hope for? Do you want a better job? Want to lose some weight, run a marathon, or have more time with family? Do you want to sleep more, have more money, have less stuff, find a partner to love, or create a better relationship with a family member? I do not wish you luck in your future endevour. My hope, (this is my action) is you will choose action, not wishful thinking to make tomorrow a better day! "The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature." —Marcus Aurelius "Feel the Rush"
1 Comment
Cassie
4/11/2018 11:24:59 am
Great blog this week! I completely agree about action being necessary, along with the hope. This was true for my husband. He was always hoping to lead a healthier lifestyle. It wasn't until a few months ago, when he took action and began working with you, that he actually became a healthier person. His energy and moods are so much improved, it's unreal. Thank you for supporting him, and leading him down a path of continued action to become a healthier man, husband, and father.
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AuthorToday is the first day of the rest of your life. What do you want your life to look like? The amazing thing is the choice is yours. I have spent many years of my life being passive, allowing things to happen to me. How many of us are spectators in our own lives? I know I was for years. I watched my energy decrease. I was tired, bloated, and had brain fog. Most days I woke up only to look forward to my next nap.Then I began an active quest for energy, peace and joy! I can honestly say it was a long journey, which I am still on. I am no longer looking for the magic pill! Magic hacks....yes! At 51 I feel more energetic than I have in years. If I were to give everyone the top 3 things to allow you to live your life with energy, peace and joy... Archives
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