Feel like you’re just one person in a world full of troubles? Read this!
It’s easy to feel that nothing you do will matter in the grand scheme of things. But Bernadette Russell believes that a small glimmer of hope can go a long way…
A few years ago, I found myself thinking about hope a lot. I was muddling along, doing my best to be happy, playing my small part in making the world a better place in whichever way I could.
Meanwhile, the world’s troubles were so complex and seemingly insurmountable that it was easy to feel that whatever I did was a bit, well, pointless. My friend Kate summed it up well: ‘I see pictures of the ocean full of plastic and I think to myself, “What is the point of recycling?”’
Commit to noticing something every day, no matter how small, that gives you hope’
The barrage of bad news we all face – bleak economic forecasts, growing societal and political divisions, increasing anger, frustration, hatred and prejudice, against a backdrop of the terrifying climate crisis – is creating an epidemic of fear, despair and hopelessness.
Yet I know for certain that finding hope has helped me. I have experienced many adversity – times when I could not easily see a way out.
Without hope, I would not have survived, and my experiences taught me that in order to save ourselves, and to have a fighting chance of changing the world for the better, we need hope now more than ever. We need an active kind of hope, one that allows us to believe that positive change is possible if we take action.
‘Taking small actions towards a brighter future was better than giving in to despair’
I asked for help. Not everyone responded positively, but some did. Those people remain friends to this day. But the most important lesson I learned from that time was that I could depend on myself, on my courage and resourcefulness. That taking small actions towards a brighter future – even if I wasn’t sure they would work – was better than giving in to despair.
It was a long and difficult journey, but on the way I gained confidence and an unshakeable belief in myself, that even at the worst of times, I could find a way out.
‘The key to finding hope is to become part of what creates it’
What I learned from them, and others, was how to navigate the path between denial and despair, so we can face the facts with courage while still persevering in our hope for something different.
To do this, we need to strengthen our resilience, reminding ourselves of what makes us feel hopeful. To start, commit to noticing something every day, no matter how small, that gives you hope – be it mentoring, gardening, music, reading and others that might be of benefit to you.
Next, recognise your personal achievements thus far, large and small. Then, recognise that ‘you are what you eat’, or rather, you are everything you consume. Make sure you get plenty of hopeful, solutions-focused news stories into your life by subscribing to a few of the many sources out there.
If you find that the regular news gets you down, limit the time that you engage with it and stick to that limit. If you notice anxiety or worry increasing as you engage with the news, stop. Take time to learn what calms and soothes you and do that instead. If something is worrying you, face the fear (it will resurface if you try to ignore it). Don’t feel defeated because you are just one person in a world full of troubles.
‘Don’t feel defeated because you are just one person in a world full of troubles’
The key to finding hope is to become part of what creates it. Seek out those who are exploring solutions – running a campaign or fighting for change – and get involved.
One of my fears was the effect of plastic pollution. Then I discovered that plastic was originally created with the best of intentions by amateur inventor John Wesley Hyatt. One of his hopes was that plastic could be made to imitate ivory and tortoiseshell and therefore protect wildlife, such as elephants and tortoises, so I feel sure his intention had not been to clog up the oceans with carrier bags.
Learning more, I discovered that in 2015, Dutch inventor Boyan Slat launched his floating rubbish-collector, picking up huge amounts of plastic from the sea. He’s still collecting it now, turning the gathered waste into plastic bike paths that are installed in cities all over
the world, actively encouraging a healthy activity that helps the planet, too, as we use cars less.
This example made me realise that as humans, our endless creativity and curiosity are tools that we will always have at our disposal to potentially solve the world’s problems. Chances are someone is already working towards a solution to the thing that is dragging you down. It always pays to look – and once you find them, that will bring you back to hope.
Hope for social justice can be found, too. We have all witnessed the positive changes that have taken place as a result of the protests after the tragic death of George Floyd, offering us proof that collective action brings results.
If you are going through a dark time, know that it is possible to find hope: ask for help and remember that whatever you are experiencing, someone has been there before you and has survived. Be kind to yourself when you are suffering; comfort yourself as you would a friend and allow yourself to begin considering what you hope for. Then, what would be a tiny step in the direction of that hope?
‘It is our responsibility to tell the stories that spread hope instead of fear’
We are living in extraordinary times. It is our responsibility to tell the stories that spread hope instead of fear – the ones that inspire us to take action, to stand up for one another, to make changes, to demand changes of those in power. All over the world there are people doing just that, whether they are enrolling in night classes, lobbying governments, litter-picking in their local park, welcoming a refugee family to their community or shopping for a neighbour.
Instead of being diminished by fear and hate, let’s allow ourselves to believe that anything is possible and that the future could be wonderful, if we act on our hopes, together.