Stop Hoping, Start Dying

Hope and death are diametrically opposite. We often hear of undying hope. And steadfast hope is invariably unrelenting, even to the point of death.

In Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne in his letter to Red had the following to say about hope:

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.

It is well known that losing hope heralds the beginning of an end which might otherwise have been averted. We can learn enduring lessons from the animal kingdom. The following videos show the interesting relationship lions and elephants do have.




The following emotional video from Beverly and Derek Joubert's TED Talk  The best takeaway is between 06:45 and 08:48.




Derek says:

Many people in fact that death begins in the eyes, not in the heart, not in the lungs. And that is when people give up hope... when any life-form gives up hope.

But by the same token, you can get your hope back again. So just when you think it's all over, something else happens, some spark gets into you. Some sort of will to fight. That iron-will that we all have... everything has that will to survive, to fight, to push through that mental barrier... and to keep going.

Are you at that point in life where you feel like giving up? Check out the videos above, and always remember that we start dying when we stop hoping.

Still Waiting for You Stroke of Insight?

Shortly after sunset yesterday, I was walking back home from visiting my parents. It is a half-hour walk that involves traversing a vast plain grassland and a steep hike as I near my humble abode that is situated atop a hill.

Needless to say, this walk presents much-needed alone time that I gladly often use to
Just as Enya sang, it is on my way home that I remember all the good things... Oops, I digress.

You see, living alone as I do, I have all the freedom to do whatever I please. Even worse, I have the freedom to NOT do that which I ought. Other than the logical and inevitable consequences or my actions or lack of them, I rarely have anyone to first consult while making most decisions that affect my life.

That said, I was thinking about abandoning something that I had initially purposed to do. There'd really be no much harm in doing so, but I'd feel bad about not working towards a certain goal, for no good reason.
Eventually, I decided to not abandon this project, and I am glad to report that I embarked on the work this morning and have every intention of sticking to it till completion.

In the following TED Talk, Jill Bolte Taylor had a life-threatening misfortune out of which she learnt much and became a totally different and dedicated individual. This was her stroke of insight.




While exploring the right kind of bad, we referenced Jill Bolte Taylor's TED Talk and underscored the essence of what's uncalled for in life. The following words by William James were a pivotal part of that post in February 2011.

Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.

Further to the near-tragic incidence that heralded Jill's full engagement as an active voice for brain recovery, we still fail to accept what has happened and thereby do the needful in effecting change and realizing progress. The following song by the Soul Savers calls for a revival, and it inspired this post about cleaning our hands with dirty water. Check it out!



All in all, there is no need to wait for a life changing moment that will catapult us into making the necessary changes in our lives or living as we ought.
We need to appreciate that which we already have, start small, start now and persist and endure even as we dream BIG and work towards living our dreams.

Cheers to a thrilling Thursday!