In times of challenge, and after a periods of intense stress, hope can be hard to summon. This seems especially true in those moments, where things have been hard for a while. Perhaps work has been unduly hard. Finances tight. Future unknown. There’s contraction that arises with these feelings. And it can feel frightening to open the door back up to hope. Times of prolonged challenge can often result in fear taking the lead – in our thoughts, actions and mindset. The trick is to recognize whether this is happening, and if so, are we conscious of it? Awareness is what enables us to unravel fear’s grasp and take positive steps towards hope once again.
Hope is vital for existence. It breathes fresh air into stale rooms. It gives us aspiration, inspiration, and it is what fuels our efforts towards success. Whether it’s hope for our careers, our next promotion, a new job, success for the project we are on, or whether it’s reflected in our family, and our loved ones.
Hope, when tempered well with action, is what gives rise to the Great Leaders of our time. It’s what makes all of us step up when we are needed. Interestingly, Hope is tied closely with Trust. When we step into Trust, a type of knowing arises – a knowing that our actions will not be in vain, no matter the outcome. Can we step deeper into Trust? Can we step into that space that goes beyond seeing an instant gratification or immediate result from our efforts? The space that “plays the Long Game”? That space that offers some ease in knowing that our actions are still valuable and offer benefit, no matter what the outcome. When you ponder these thoughts, where do they sit in your body? Can you touch into that? Is there resistance and contraction, or openness and lightness? (There is no wrong or right answer.)
Below are some inquiry tools that can help us embrace Hope, Trust and make good use of all our Efforts:
HOPE:
- Where do you find hope today? What ways can you allow it to give you life? What ways does it support your mind and body?
- When you think of Hope and its link to Trust, what thoughts arise for you? Do you step easily into Hope and Trust of yourself, or is there room for growth there?
- What past situations have shown you that you can Trust your sense of awareness, choice, and action? Where do you have an opportunity to grow?
TRUST:
- Can you ever know the impact of all your actions? Go really broad with this. Where does your knowing start, and where does it stop? Have you ever had a moment, where you said or did something, and only months (or even years) later, realized the positive impact it had on another person? How did that make you feel?
- What determines whether an action has a “positive” or “negative” impact? Consider that intent can affect the impact we have, yet intent and impact are very different. They are not necessarily aligned – even in our best moments. How can we, as Leaders, step into a deeper awareness of Intent and Impact? What would help you become aware of this more fully?
EFFORT:
- Does effort have to have an outcome in order to be made? In business development and sales, outcomes are often unknown – and yet sales people continue to take steps towards generating them daily. What would support you in releasing the outcome? In doing so, would it make your efforts more or less valuable?
- Consider reading “The Need to Win” by Chuang Tzu. I was first introduced to this poem about ten years ago from a friend. It’s been a great reflection tool. I’ve found the depth it offers has grown with me over the years.
Be well.
All the best,
Woodrie & The Team
