PRACTICING HOPE

Welcome to The Art of Transition’s website and thank you for your time to read my very first blog!

One morning recently I was privy to a real treat.  I had walked down to the path that hugs Mentone Beach in Melbourne and turned left heading in my usual direction, when I saw the graceful rise and fall of a fin and arched back of a dolphin.  Seconds later, there was another, and another.  The pod was swimming very close to the shore, heading in the opposite direction to me.  This was a rare and wondrous sight.  I turned and followed them, delighting in every rolling surface that was made.  I was not the only one enjoying this spectacle – the local surf club was having a Little Nipper’s event and they announced our sea dwelling friends arrival over the loud speaker.  The older kids paddled towards the pod as if their lives depended on it – and their efforts were not in vain.  I watched as the dolphins swam right underneath and around them.  The squeals of delight could be clearly heard as the children reached affectionately towards them, stroking their backs as they passed.  Other children were running alongside the water.  The faces of both adults and children alike beaming – as was my own.

I was struck by the sheer joy and delight that these creatures evoked in every person on that beach at that time.  Minutes later I was also struck by the thought that there were people on this planet that wish to harm these peaceful, awe inspiring mammals.  I fought back tears as I comprehended the duality – the thought offering another example of painfully distressing human behaviour that occurs on our beautiful planet.

One can get depressed, distressed, overwhelmed, angry, feel a great sense of helplessness, etc, etc, by many of the things happening on our planet at this time.  Common sense seems to evade leaders of nations and large corporations alike.

I was reminded of an epiphany I experienced in my mid twenties and that was – that each of us can make a positive difference and play an active role in making the world a better place. It requires each of us to strive to be the best version of ourselves we can be.  And, according to the ‘100th Monkey Effect’, when there is enough of us living a certain way – when we reach a critical mass – then the rest of our species will shift into this new way of being.  It is a very hopeful and optimistic theory.  If you are unaware of it please go to www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm to learn more about it.

With the new year now upon us let’s keep in mind this notion of Hope.  Hope is said to be the anchor for the soul.  Hope defined is: a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.  Like words found in the Thesaurus are, as a noun: expectation, belief, dream, conviction, faith, trust; and as a verb: intention, aspire, plan, aim, anticipate. Hope then seems to be a word requiring action – if at the very least, an act of focused thought.

Ask yourself – what does your heart Hope for?  What are your highest dreams for yourself and our world for this new year ahead and beyond?

Discover Your Symbol for Hope

With this in mind – see if you can come up with a symbol of hope for yourself.  It must represent Hope for you.  Once clear on your symbol – create it.  You may like to:

• Draw it
• Paint it
• Make it from clay and/or found materials
• Find a picture of it
• Make a collage of it
• If you have trouble finding a symbol – you could decorate the written word.

Create it and put it in a place where you will see it frequently and often, so it serves as a constant reminder.

You may feel a long way from what you hope for.  Each of us has our own unique history of events since birth, our own story – most of us have wounds that get in the way of us being our best version of ourselves – the version we would Hope to be.  For some, your stories will be terrible and traumatic and have been crippling for you – but there is always HOPE.  Each of us has the capacity to feel:

• connected to self and others
• authentic and congruent
• we have healthy boundaries
• we are kind, loving, empathic, present, purposeful – the list goes all.

This coming year commit to your own wellbeing – working towards developing more of these inner qualities; integrating the past and moving towards becoming more of who you truly are. In so doing – you are doing your bit towards moving humanity towards a brighter future – how very empowering!

My hope is that each of us steps on the path of Know Thyself and does their own personal work to heal and live a life deserving of their heart and essence.

What is your symbol for hope?  I would love you to share your symbols of hope with me.  If so inclined – please email me a photo of your symbol and let me know if you are happy for me to share it in this space.  I can then post a collection of our symbols for Hope for all to see.

My symbol is the four leaf clover – with it’s heart shaped leaves and it’s green, healing colour. Stayed tuned for a book soon to come out called ‘The Four Needs of the Heart’ – it is a book with an incredibly hopeful message!