In my office, I have a print by the artist Carissa Potter with the words “Hope Is Essential” under an array of various glasses of water. I loved the print as soon as I saw it- to me, it felt like a reminder to hydrate and to practice hopefulness. If it were not for hope- hope that people can change, however slowly, and heal from wounds that may have originated generations back- my work as a therapist would be pretty pointless. As it turns out, I do need the reminder.
Last week, I found myself in a funk. We are barely into 2025 and the devastation from the wildfires in Los Angeles filled me with a sense of dread and anxiety. People I knew in college lost their homes and everything in them. My sister had to evacuate. “Can we go one week without a major natural disaster, political scandal, etc. etc?” I lamented to a friend on a walk.
Cynicism can seem tempting in these moments, but I heard someone on a podcast the other day describe cynicism as “lazy skepticism.” It felt like a challenge. Can I be skeptical- and curious and imaginative- instead of giving into cynicism? Can I actively look for reasons to be hopeful? Can I practice living in a way that engenders hope for myself and others? Becoming a parent has made these questions more pressing, at least for me. Can I look at my son and know that I am working to actively bring about the kind of world I want him to live in?
I felt - and feel- this knee jerk reaction against cynicism. “I know cynicism isn’t going to help,” I said to my friend, who gently and wisely responded, “But we can still acknowledge when things feel awful.” If you are grieving, please allow yourself to grieve. When I am working with a client who is grieving, in immense pain, depressed- I tell them I will hold onto hope for them until they can feel it themselves. If you are exhausted, depleted, and practicing hopefulness feels like too big of an ask- please be gentle with yourself. I’ll hold it for you.
I cannot and would not want to practice hopefulness on my own. And so, I have decided to begin a weekly roundup of what is giving me hope to share with you all. Some will be personal connections, some will be people I read about or listen to an interview of on a podcast. This will keep me looking, eyes peeled and ears open.
The elderly man I drove by on my commute who had a trash picker and reusable bag, collecting any garbage he found along the lakeside trail. His visible efforts to combat disarray loosened the tightening in my chest. He cares. I can care, too.
Spending time with my 5- week old niece and sister and celebrating the engagement of dear friends over the weekend. What’s more hopeful than new life and people committing to love one another?
Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist who I learned of on Kelly Corrigan’s podcast (one of my absolute favorites), who remains stubbornly hopeful and has dedicated her life to studying, educating others, and preparing communities for the effects of climate change.
“Money with Katie” podcast host Katie Gatti Tassin, who recently shared her personal evolution from focusing on budgets and FIRE numbers to exploring the ways in which existing systems make it incredibly difficult for people to better their financial situation when the threats of medical debt, massive school loans, the costs of childcare, etc. loom large. (See also: Ramit Sethi, another financial educator I love). She wants us to explore other ways of operating- individually and as a society and I am here for it.
Reading and watching a wave of “de-influencers” - I don’t know about you, but I can quickly feel exhausted by the constant insistence that I need to buy more shit. So I have been pleasantly surprised to come across a bunch of influencers/former influencers sharing about “No Buy/Low Buy 2025”, including former influencer Jess Kirby, who writes with laudable transparency about the realities of influencing and why she walked away from it.
I will inevitably be writing about this more because I think about money, minimalism, what ethical spending/consuming might look like, the impact on the planet, and how to opt for less/opt out often.
I look forward to the challenge of identifying and sharing sources of hope.
Who or what is giving you hope right now? How are you practicing hopefulness?
Thanks for sharing, Sarah! What a great reminder to look for hope in potentially unexpected places. It has been such a hard week with the wildfire news and such devastation and displacement of people and animals. Appreciate your thoughts and encouragements!