How Do We Keep Hope Alive?

A lot can happen in a month!

Last month I was writing to you from the Gold Coast, reflecting on how fortunate we were in Australia to once again enjoy the freedom of movement and travel within our country.  Now as I write to you, parts of Queensland are hours away from going into lockdown and facing an uncertain week ahead with many questions around what Passover, Easter and Ramadan for many will look like.

Last month I wrote about the need for men and women to join forces to reflect on and celebrate the work that has been done to further equality, and the need to commit to the important work that still needs to get done to rebuild and re-align systems, organisations and cultures in order to once and for all drive towards greater equity of opportunity and respect for women in our country.  As I sit writing to you, I and many of you are still reeling from the relentless headlines in the last few weeks, recounting appalling stories and allegations of sexual abuse, assault and harassment of women by some of the most influential male leaders in our country.  Stories of the toxic, disgusting ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ misogynistic culture that characterises our Parliament - the place where our laws are made and the place we look to lead the way and set the tone.

It seems like more and more we are being called upon to embrace the word or words we set for ourselves in January as the motivators and inspiration for this year ahead.  Mine were compassion and hope.

Compassion is something I feel daily when I look to the ongoing and increased suffering by our neighbours near and far, and the tragedies taking place around the world.  I feel compassion for us all as we continue to adapt to the often one day at a time approach we are forced to take with some aspects of our lives.

Hope - now hope is something that in all honesty has tested me.  I wonder whether you can relate to this too?

I speak often about how it is crucial for all of us to keep hope alive, especially when it is the most difficult to do so.  When we see events unfolding around the world, in our nation’s capital and we constantly hear stories of the worst types of behaviour, that is when it is the most difficult to remain hopeful.  But the journey of the last year has taught me something so valuable about the human spirit, and that is that we have a choice always, even when we feel as though nothing is within our control.

The choice is simply this - we must choose to see the silver lining and gifts in everything.

So how do we do that? Well, that answer is different for almost every one of us.

For me, it’s looking out for people leading to change, as the recent Marches for Justice that took place in Canberra and around the country, where hundreds of thousands of women and men said ‘Enough is Enough’ and called an end to sexual violence and discrimination of women and girls in Australia.  

For me, it’s also turning to the things and people that give me strength, comfort and purpose. Faith, my values, my family and my dear friends.  More and more I have come to deeply appreciate the value of spiritual awareness, values alignment and human connection.

For me and I hope for you too, these things will help us keep the flame of hope alive, so that we may continue to look for the gifts and silver linings in these uncertain times, and so that we may have the strength to stop looking to others to set the tone and rather we commit to being the change we wish to see in our world at a time when change is so desperately needed.

We can’t do this alone.  We need to stand together side by side, arm in arm and walk these new paths of awareness, reformation and cultural transformation together.  I believe this is our new common purpose - as individuals and as a collective. 

We all must play our part.