Living i the COVID World ... and Beyond #65: Staying Hopeful and Engaged in Challenging Times
With the daily onslaught of bad news – on human rights, on climate issues, on war and peace, on basic services, and on government as an institution itself (and the list goes), it is hard to stay hopeful and engaged in trying to make positive change.
It is in the interests of the oppressive forces that we feel disillusioned and defeated, and that we just give up and focus on making our personal lives go as best as they can.
But while having good personal lives is important, it is not insufficient. We need to stay hopeful and engaged in constructive resistance to autocracy and the ascent of the oligarchy and make whatever attempts we can to promote positive change at the local, state, national, and international levels.
How do you stay hopeful and engaged?
Below I’ll share a few things that I have found helpful to stay hopeful and engaged.
1) I have participated in 3 relatively large protests over the last few months, 2 here in Stamford and 1 in New York City. In all cases, I organized to attend the protests with friends. I don’t believe that these protests will change any policy-maker’s views (although the protests against the Vietnam War definitely had an impact). However, I participate because the energy is infectious and the numbers of people attending is encouraging. It is helpful to be surrounded by other people singing out and shouting together, to experience that I am part of something that is bigger than just me.
2) I have found it very important for my mental and emotional health to find places where I can share and vent about what is bothering me. For different people, this takes different forms. For me, I am an active participant in Re-evaluation Counseling (RC). RC is dedicated to helping individuals recover from the ways that they have been emotionally hurt so that people can live their lives as fully as possible.
For those of you not familiar with Re-evaluation Counseling (RC), the essence of the theory is that all human beings are inherently intelligent, caring, and zestful. However, these human qualities become blocked or obscured as the result of hurtful experiences starting early in our lives. These hurtful experiences might have been anecdotal within our families/schools/church communities/friendships/etc. and/or based within oppressive systems like sexism, racism, etc. RC is a practice of listening, of learning to follow the pathways of memory toward the healing of ancestral and current societal wounds. In some ways it’s very simple, building on the lived experience that many people have had: after a good cry with a trusted friend, the fog lifts, the mind works better, we are more available again for human connection. If you want to read more about RC, you can go to https://www.reevaluationcounseling.org or reach out to me directly.
3) Reading about good things that are happening somewhere in the world. Sometimes I have to search for the good news. More frequently, I must decide not to skip over it (while I get sucked into the latest horror). A few examples, that maybe you did not know:
· A new study from the International Energy Agency found that EV batteries got 20% cheaper last year.
· The EU appears to be more or less on track to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in line with its Paris pledges.
· Public libraries are wonderful places that offer lots of free programming and opportunities to mingle with other folks from your local community.
4) Do something. As a climate activist, I have shifted my focus to be much more at the state level where, despite obstructionist tactics by some politicians and lobbyists, there is a better chance of getting something done. This has had two additional benefits – building relationships with other local activist and getting to know my state-level representatives. I don’t think it matters so much what you do (e.g., I just wrote my state senator in support of climate legislation) but that you do something. It feels good. Maybe it makes a difference. And it serves as an active contradiction to feelings of hopelessness.
5) Finally, it helps me to have time with friends, to build closer and more committed relationships. We don’t have to agree on every political issue. We often spend time together without politics even entering the conversation. Being with people, knowing that I’m connected with other people, gives me the faith and courage to act.
What helps you to stay hopeful and engaged during challenging times?