Lost Imaginations

Read. Write. Rest.

What is Hope?

What is hope? This is a question I have continued to return to over the past year as I’ve been working on my new project How to Forgive Your Inner Daredevil in my upcoming Hope and Self-Esteem Saga. This series of guides will include using the Incredible Hulk to address feelings of anger, Spider-Man in an attempt to achieve balance, and possibly others heroes / villains. Rather than sexual assault, this saga will address the silent pandemic occurring throughout our society that has led to the opioid crisis and growing depression and isolation infecting so many others beside myself: the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Yes, according to C.R. Snyder, hope is WAYPOWER and WILLPOWER, but how do you instill hope in yourself and others? As my hope has waxed and waned over the past few months, I’ve leaned on some really close friends and my wife for support. It’s the only way I’ve been able to dig myself out of the emotional hole I’ve been in. I have no definite answer to this question of hope vs optimism, but it’s one I am searching to find for myself, my students, my mentees, and other survivors of adverse childhood experiences like myself. So, I’ve been reading the psychology and comics to do the research. I’ve been writing down my thoughts and ideas to help myself and share with others. And I’ve been resting to let the thoughts come naturally and remain mindful of myself and others. Rather than tell you what I have learned so far and tell you to try something to give yourself the motivation to move, engage, and rebuild your lost imagination, I want to tell you to sit with it for a while. Don’t push it away. Practice some radical self-acceptance and get to its root. It may be trying to tell you something that can lead to your healing.