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Embracing Wise Hope: Nurturing Aspirations in the Present Moment

Updated: Apr 25

In a world often fixated on future goals and aspirations, wise hope emerges as a beacon of mindfulness and authenticity. It's a departure from forced positivity or solely future-oriented dreaming; instead, it invites us to pause and reflect on our deepest desires for this precious life we've been given.

Wise hope gently asks us to consider: What are our truest aspirations? What do we long for at the core of our being? It's about reconnecting with our innermost hopes and dreams, free from the distractions of past regrets or future anxieties.

In this reflective journey, we're encouraged to explore how our deepest aspirations are already intertwined with our present reality. It's a recognition that fulfillment isn't solely reserved for some distant future achievement but can be found in the richness of each moment, right here and now.

Drawing from personal experience, it's easy to fall into the trap of perpetual longing for a future moment when everything will fall into place. Yet, wise hope gently reminds us that we are already whole and complete in this moment, imperfectly perfect as we are. As Shunryu Suzuki wisely put it, "You are already perfect, and there's room for improvement."

Wise hope encourages us to hold space for both our present contentment and our future aspirations, navigating the delicate balance between acceptance and growth.

So, amidst the busyness of life, take a moment to breathe, to connect with your deepest aspirations, and to trust in the guiding light of wise hope on your journey to fulfillment and self-discovery.

Enjoy this guided practice that is rooted in the teaching of Tara Brach.

This is a beautiful three-step process that really helps us get clear on what's important:

1. Aspiration

2. Attending

3. Action.

We start with deeply connecting to our aspirations. We may aspire for something in the future, and this is perfectly normal and, in fact, helpful, but this practice reminds us that the things that we aspire for are already within us, right now.

For example, those in the performance arena often have goals for the future. "I want to qualify for this competition...I want to break this record...I want to make this amount of money." This practice asks the question, "What is the desire beneath these goals? " Maybe answers arise such as, "I want to reach my fullest potential...I want to feel good about myself...I want to feel safe and secure."

Once we have connected with this deeper aspiration, we begin asking, "Where in my life are my aspirations already present?" Maybe we recall recent moments of feeling good about ourselves or have noticed parts of our bodies or experiences in this moment that already feel safe and secure.

Once we recognize that what we strive for is already available in the here and now, we can relax a little bit, and without the pressure of expectation or the future, we can get clear on how we want to take action to cultivate these deeper desires within ourselves and share them with the world.