Hope
January 20th, 2009
by Noah Rubinstein, LMFT
Founder and CEO GoodTherapy.org
In even the darkest of times, there is one particular essence of the human spirit which compels us to prevail and prosper; though we may experience great trials and witness ourselves and our lives subjected to disappointing and sometimes painful circumstances, hope is a part of the human experience which belies our deeply positive and creative nature. Hope may come in a variety of forms, from the simplest symbol, like the vibrant petals of a crocus emerging from winter’s snowy blanket, to the greatest acts of perseverance, as in those afflicted with terminal illnesses who nevertheless accomplish amazing things. But whether hope is embodied in a metaphor or brazenly displayed in our actions, it has the power to nourish and heal; to improve and uplift; to bring about a brighter future.
There is perhaps no greater embodiment of hope for the future today than the figure of Barack Obama, who will attend his inauguration and become the forty-fourth President of the United States before the sun has set. For millions of Americans and the people of distant nations all around the world, the inauguration marks a new devotion to peace and prosperity, as well as big hopes for the years to come. Through the past eight years, the United States has seen war, aggression, several domestic tragedies, financial upheaval, and an administrative show of disdain for many of those values that Americans and their friends abroad hold dear. But though the events themselves, as well as the rapidly growing discontent with the government and the image of the people projected by its policies, may have threatened, the collective will to reinvent and reconsider, they stand today as obstacles inviting the country to forge a new path.
Many people are counting on the new President to follow through with those initiatives and policy changes that affect them most. Some may be awaiting the return of a loved one from military service in Iraq, celebrating Obama’s commitment to a swift and gracious homecoming for US troops. Others are concerned about the state of the environment and how we regulate our interaction with it, ringing in the inauguration with visions of green technology and a greater devotion to ecological living. Still others eagerly anticipate the refinement of health care, trusting that a new administration will work hard to deliver its ideals of universal care in ways that will improve and empower their lives. From the small towns and metropolises of America to the most poverty-stricken places on Earth and the intellectual centers of Europe and Asia, dreams await their realization, and hardships taste their end. Though there are innumerable wishes and personal victories being uttered in homes across the nation and the globe today in tandem with Obama’s official inauguration, they all represent our innermost attribute, timeless and immortal: hope.
United in dreams of a better future, and in our determination to help create a happier and more prosperous world, American citizens and human beings from every nation have come together to witness the change in presidency and experience the beginning of what promises to be a new and joyous era. With hope in our hearts and a vast hunger for understanding, knowledge, patience, and brotherhood, we make our way towards a world where children can be happy and free, elders can be healthy and at peace, and adults can work with and respect one another. And though these goals may be lofty, though they may need many years or even decades to accomplish, and though the new American President may not fulfill every promise or realize every goal, our hope tells us that all we truly need to make it happen is precisely what we know, today, we have: the opportunity.
Connect with Noah on Google+©Copyright 2009 by Noah Rubinstein, LMFT, LMHC, therapist in Olympia, WA. All Rights Reserved.
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12 Comments | Click here to leave a comment.
Comments
that’s all we can ask for is faith and hope. I believe Obama will do our country proud
Hope is a wonderful thing to have and to hang on to in this economy today. I just hope and pray that things will turn around. It’s time for a change.
This article was so inspiring and yes, I believe we all need hope. The inauguration was so good and good to hear Obama’s dreams and ideas. If we don’t have hope then what do we have.
There are so many hopes that I would like to see happen such as bringing the troops home, peace, stabilizing the economy not to mention get the fuel we need here in the States. Let’s all hope for these things.
Peace, hope and love are just the 3 ingredients the world needs. We all hope these things but we all need to do our bit. I believe change always starts with us. Barrack Obama adds inspiration to this change.
Change is good and we all need this change.
For so many Americans and other people from all over the globe Obama represents the hope and the opportunity for America that has been missing for the past two presidential administrations. I think that he signifies the change that the entire country needs to once again start moving forward in a more positive direction. I think that with him it is still going to take time and a lot of hard work but I know and have faith that we can get there. The United States is a prosperous nation, one that leads the rest of the world and I think that Obama is the leader with the vision and the tenacity to get us there once again.
I have family that lives overseas and even they are hopeful that a new presidency in our country will restore the world to greatness. Pretty lofty aspirations I know but it just goes to show that people from all over the world do still look to America for hope and Bush really diminished that for us in so many ways. I think that the Obama presidency is going to help to restore us as a leader in this world and will once again make us proud to be Americans.
One man cannot change the world. But collectively we can all work together to give it a shot. That is what it is going to take to get things right again- this man as our leader and all of us working with him to fight for achieve the changes we are all so desperate for.
We are all experiencing many difficult times this year and it does not necessarily look to get much better soon. But I am with so many of the rets of the readers here who feel like in the case of Obama is definitely going to be for the better. It could not get any worse than it has been, and the only place we have to go now is up. Let us realize that the weight does not have to fall entirely to one person, but we all have to be in the same mindset that we are ready to move our country together in a positive direction once again.
So sorry to disagree with so many who have penned hopes here on a man who has never shown leadership in his life. He ran for this office for the only two years he was in Congress. He is an untested individual who has played on millions of people with their insecurities and fears and they have put him now is the highest office in the land and with the help of liberal like minded members of the House and Senate he is going to saddle our children and our children’s children with a load of debt this country will never get out from under. Slowly but surely he is taking this country,that so many have fought and died for since it’s conception, down the road to socialism which will then take all incentive away for individual accomplishment and the spirit of freedom for all. More government is not the answer to America’s problems, it’s people are.
America has been safe for the last 8 years and I hope and pray that this man will not shirk from his duty to keep this land free and safe as well.
A typical liberal response that is not in the least surprising from all that I have read above. Thank you and good night.
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