Renewable Hope

 

Sustainability isn't about the quick

fix or the cheap solution.

Generally it means making a

commitment and trying, as best we

can, to honor it.

 In any worthwhile enterprise, from

protecting the environment to

preserving a relationship, we are going

to encounter difficulties.

 The good life is not a problem-free

life. In point of fact, the process of

overcoming adversity often produces

some of the most rewarding experiences

we will ever have.

 Human beings need to be challenged

to 'test their mettle,' as it were.

 Throwing in the towel at the first

sign of trouble or small inkling of

distress may be the easy thing to do,

but it doesn't help our self-concept.

Most of life's troubles can be

overcome if we are willing to work

through them with patience.

 

-Michael A. Schuler

 

Having a continually renewed sense of hope is not always easy.  What is easy is to believe things will happen in the way that we have envisioned them when everything else is going well. This tends to change rather quickly when obstacles “jump” in the way, or challenges arise that we hadn’t planned on. The continually renewable hope that was mentioned earlier has a way of quickly evaporating.

We all find ourselves in the latter situation from time to time, but the key to success really needs to be in being prepared for when those unexpected difficulties arise.  Prepare so that we can be on the offensive instead of constantly being shocked and forced to be on defense.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand that we can't predict what will unexpectedly greet us along the way, but we can have a plan of attack ready as to how we will deal with it when it sneaks in the back door and says hello.

The quote above is the perfect reminder that the “good life” we seek does not come without struggle, but it reassures us that we will survive and find a delicious reward on the other side with continued hope and constant patience.

Have hope this week and every week thereafter, despite any frustrations that may present themselves, and believe that maybe this is just the universe’s way of testing us to see how badly we want what we say we wanted.

Images: (1) Source (3) – Source (4) - We Heart It (5) -  Flickr (6) - We Heart That