The Importance of Hope for a New Beginning

Despite we are still in a dark, cold winter, our days are sprinkled with a bit of sunshine and blue skies. The past year has passed by in the blink of an eye and we are already weeks into a brand new year. For many people, January 20, 2021 is a historic day that carries hope, change, and a mark for a new beginning.

The year 2020 left us with a mixture of losses, trauma, division, fear, hatred, violence, uncertainty, and longing for healing. Chaos from the past yr and the unexpected riot that occurred shortly before President Biden’s inauguration has created a threat to democracy and the nation’s safety in a way that has never been seen before. While the country is still high on security alert, there is one thing that helps us get through this unsettling time. Hope.

Hope is like a little pebble. Dropped into a pond, you get a ripple effect. Not having hope is like still water where change is no where to be found. Whether you are dealing with the aftermath of recovering from COVID, grieving for those who lost their battles to COVID, hit by job loss, impacted by systemic oppression, suffering from social isolation, etc., keep in mind that there are no barriers to healing unless you lose hope.

Before you give up hope for healing, think about what makes you lose faith in ever having hope again. Could it be your lack of belief in change, fear of disappointment, or not knowing where to begin in the healing process?

As you may have heard from the news, people who have been against the new administration has repeatedly said that their votes have been stolen and their freedom will be taken away even though there is no evidence of it being true. Such beliefs are manifested by their own insecurity of not having existence in the society. The fear of not being heard or being a subject of oppression triggered anger and distrust which resulted in the use of violence and scapegoating others to justify their actions.

This antagonistic response traces back to worries that their future will not change for the better when a new administration replaces what they had in the last 4 years. This mindset leads people to make decisions based on their emotions, rather than reasoning the outcome of their mindless acts. When you lose hope, you also lose direction in finding meaning in your life. There is no doubt that you may face undesirable circumstances in life, but that does not mean it is your last stop. It may simply be a redirection for a new chapter in life.

Take President Biden for example. He was a kid who was bullied for stuttering, but he speaks with the absence of stuttering now. He lost twice running for president before he finally became the 46th U.S. president this year. Vice President Kamala Harris became the first colored, female vice president; making this another historic moment in U.S. history. After nearly a year of the pandemic, COVID vaccines are now being distributed. These are examples of leaders and healthcare experts accomplishing what they set out for because they never gave up hope.

There is a saying that there is always something positive that comes after a crisis. If 2020 has been a daunting year for you, maybe 2021 will be a different year. But what makes 2021 a better year may also depend on what you do to heal open wounds. I hereby grant you a little pebble for a fresh start. Now you just need to let this pebble guide you to find light at the end of the tunnel.