The Woman's Book of Hope. Eileen Campbell

The Woman's Book of Hope - Eileen Campbell


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that may seem impossible and that others might regard as a foolish dream. We have to take that passionate desire and make it our quest, no matter how difficult it might seem to reach our goal.

      Dreams are expressions of hope, and how our lives unfold depends on our dreams. When our imagination is fired by them, we're lifted to new heights, and we can overcome those patterns of thoughts and beliefs that so frequently hold us back and prevent us from realizing our dream.

      “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” wrote Eleanor Roosevelt, who in spite of her privileged position as the wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt had her share of misfortunes and is to be admired for how she coped with them. She campaigned throughout her life for human rights and as head of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights helped draft the 1948 declaration of human rights.

      Doreen Peachy did not have a privileged background, but she had dreams. When she grew up in the 1950s in England, there wasn't enough money in her family to pay for ballet lessons, but she always wanted to be a ballerina. When she was seventy-one, she became the oldest woman ever to pass the grade six exam at the Royal Academy of Dance in London. Having had a successful career, she was able to fulfill her dream by taking up ballet when she had retired ten years earlier.

      My own experience with singing is not dissimilar. I always loved to sing, but there was no money for music training when I was young. I put all my energy into getting an education and a career, and it never really occurred to me that I could take up singing without a music background, but the dream never left me. It was not until I was fifty, after many years of going to India, that through a curious serendipity I became involved with classical Indian raga. Indian music and the way it is traditionally taught, totally by listening and by repetition with no need for musical notation, suited me perfectly. Because I had studied Sanskrit, singing in different Indian languages wasn't really a problem; I seemed to be able to pick them up enough to be able to sing in them. After many years of practice now, learning different styles with several Indian teachers, I have become reasonably proficient, even performing on stage in both London and India. It's clearly never too late to fulfill an impossible dream!

       I allow my imagination to run free.

       I know that what I long for is attainable.

       I believe my dreams are being realized.

      5. Saying “yes” to possibility

      With all its uncertainty and unpredictability, life may be challenging for us at times, but it's always richer with possibilities than we might at first think. We always have a choice as to how we react to situations. If we remain hopeful, open, and receptive, the future unfolds in a manner that allows us to pursue and realize our dreams. Possibilities emerge that, if we're negative and despairing in our attitude, we fail to see.

      Throughout history there have sadly been exiles and refugees, and recent history has been no exception with the turmoil in the Middle East. We have all been appalled by the plight of thousands of refugees leaving the horrors of war-torn Syria to come to the West. One of the most heart-rending, but at the same time inspirational, stories is that of the young girl Nujeen Mustafa, who has cerebral palsy and cannot walk. She traveled in her wheelchair in search of a new life, wanting to join her brother and sister in Germany, and dreaming of becoming an astronaut. From Bodrum in Turkey, she traveled in an overcrowded dingy to the Greek island of Lesbos and then took a fourteen-hour ferry ride to mainland Greece. The Hungarian/Serbian border had closed to refugees the day before her arrival, so she had to make a long detour via Croatia and Slovenia, where she was held in a detention center for twenty-four hours, before finally making the long bus journey to Germany. Now settled and at school, she plans to go on to study physics. It was her positive attitude and saying “yes” to the possibility of safety and a new life that Nujeen believes helped her face the long and difficult journey: “I thought of it as something that I'm living through now, but that will pass. I thought of everything as a big adventure.”

      I have Gujarati friends living in England, who similarly had hopeful attitudes when they were expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda in August 1972. Of the eighty thousand Asians who were ordered to leave Uganda, thirty thousand came to the UK, leaving behind their wealth and possessions. They brought with them, however, a determination to rebuild their lives, no matter the sacrifices that had to be made. They said “yes” to starting all over again, even though their start was hardly propitious—they were housed in old military camps with very few facilities. Their parents worked hard and they worked hard, studying to get more qualifications and build successful businesses. My friends’ stories are stories of struggle, but one is a consultant anesthetist, another ran a successful chain of pharmacies before retiring, and another was an academic librarian. All are engaged in volunteer work in their communities. I'm full of admiration for how they overcame adversity and how they have built successful lives for themselves and are contributing to their communities too.

      With a hopeful, determined attitude, however much things are against us at certain points in our lives, we can undoubtedly win when we say “yes” to the possibilities that are always there for us.

       I am emerging from my difficult times.

       I am hopeful, open, and receptive to a glorious future.

       I say “yes” to the possibilities that are unfolding.

      6. Finding meaning and purpose

      Humans have a fundamental need to feel that life is worthwhile and that what we do makes a difference. We may be rich, successful, even famous, but that's not enough—we have to have a reason to live. It may well be easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven! In the long run, without a meaningful existence, life is empty and unfulfilling.

      To make sense of our existence, we need to see ourselves as part of something greater—a family, a community, a society. We need to seek a cause beyond ourselves, and it has to be worth making sacrifices for. Many find meaning through loving and caring for others or trying to have a beneficial impact on the lives of others. Ultimately, seeing ourselves as on a spiritual path makes the difference, and every life event—negative or positive—is a clue to our purpose and becoming our best selves. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy and the Waldorf Schools, wrote:

      If we do not develop within ourselves this deeply rooted feeling that there is something higher than ourselves, we shall never find the strength to evolve to something higher.

      There are many examples of those who have come to this realization in a variety of ways—from saint to sinner.

      Mother Teresa, the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, was canonized as St. Teresa of Calcutta in 2016. In spite of intense inner struggles on her spiritual journey for much of her life, Mother Teresa found meaning and purpose through her work with the poor, the sick, and the dying. She was unwavering in her dedication to helping and giving hope to those in need. “Love cannot remain by itself—it has no meaning,” she wrote. “Love has to be put into action, and that action is service.”

      A very different story of hope is that of Moyo (a Swahili name meaning heart or spirit), who has been held on death row for the past sixteen years, having committed two murders when he was eighteen. He does not expect to be let out of solitary confinement, but his hope is to spend his time in worthwhile ways. In trying to understand himself and what happened, he has become an avid reader. He has committed himself to a regular practice of yoga and meditation. He says, “In this cell I have learned the art of patience, the art of silence, and its fruits are sweet. I have learned the art of introspection and what it can do to improve one's sense of self.”

      Moyo also communicates with the world outside through letters and met Maria Jain through a prison pen-pals initiative. The same age, but with very different lives, they began to meditate together sitting in their different time zones. Out of the deep friendship


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