Hope - How do YOU find it?

Last night I watched the movie Milk. It is one of those movies that is up for all these awards but you never got around to seeing it but since it is award worthy you rent it. It was excellent. One of the famous lines in the movie is when Harvey Milk says, "Without hope there is no reason to live". This morning my husband asked me this question, "Where do you find hope"?

I have been reflecting all day on the word hope and what it means. I know that I am very passionate about helping others to find hope. That is easy for me. Whether it is in the real estate field or within my immediate sphere, to watch a persons face or hear it in their voice when they finally find hope is priceless. That feeling keeps me going when I want to give up. I know that this last year it has been hard to get through to people. There are so many people that are not in the right place to receive.

The movie portrays Harvey finding his passion to change the world through changing the way people think of gay rights as being equal to the rights of all citizens. To think that this was 1973 (not that long ago) and that gays had very few rights is unbelievable. They were not allowed to teach children for the fear that our children would turn gay. Can you imagine thinking that children can be taught to be gay? So Harvey found himself in a position to give hope through using politics to represent the gay community in changing legislature for equal rights. What a big job. It seemed impossible. Without hope for freedom I can see how the gay community would think that life would not be worth living. Harvey gave people hope through bringing them a voice to the government through public office. So where does someone like Harvey get their hope? What he did for equal rights in a span of 5 years is amazing. He had to have known where to go to find his own hope.

In my darkest moments I have lost hope and I have felt that life may not be worth it. So I do know the value of hope. So where do I get hope for me? Do I wait for someone else to bring it to me? If I did wait I just might be waiting for a long time. I also know that hope collectively coming from a larger group does bring momentum for amazing change (you will see this in the movie so go rent it today). And to be one to inspire that is what I am passionate about. But I still need hope for me to give me momentum. Where is it? As I relected on my husbands question it seemed so unclear.

Whenever I feel unclear I get clarity. That means to stop "doing" and quiet your mind. To quiet my mind today I decided not to work instead I went to a spiritual center. I love the inspiration messages and I find someone else saying them out loud even more powerful. I also love the music. I left the center renewed. I felt hopeful. Wow! I found it.

So the moral to this story is that it does not matter where others get it. What matters is finding out where you get yours. As Kim Lampe says, "find what fuels you" (check out her website at www.believeactgo.blogspot.com). This next week quiet your mind and reflect on the word "hope" and my wish for you is that you find it.

"It's not what you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not"