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blogging101, Eckhart Tolle, Journaling, Michael Leunig, Quotes, Reflections, Uncategorized, Writing 101
While looking for a picture to post with Roberta Allen’s new prompt yesterday for the Sandbox Writing Challenge, “What keeps you going?”, I ran across a quote by Eckhart Tolle that kind of set my teeth on edge.
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Now I LIKE Tolle’s writings. I especially enjoyed and was challenged by his book “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.” It was one of those books I’ve underlined more words than not. Whether this quote was from that book I can’t remember and I’m too lazy to get up and look! But if it set well with me then, it left me feeling really conflicted yesterday when I reread it in light of the fact that I’ve been working on NOT living in the past or the future, but trying to be present in the now.
The thought that HOPE drives a person toward the future and makes them miserable at the same time just doesn’t fly for me. My brain immediately countered with:
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So there I sat feeling irritable and unsettled with a shadow cast over my whole day. A weird reaction to say the least. But then, the very first response on the blog was from my friend Opher over at Opher’s World. His answer to the question “What keeps you going?” was very simple — HOPE. Thanks, Opher! I needed that. Made me feel tons better as I grappled with Tolle’s quote.
The problem is I can see the truth on both sides of that equation. And I’ll probably continue to mull it over for awhile. I think, however, I’m going to come down on the HOPE IS EVERYTHING side because I’ve believed that all my life. In fact, on my desk I have the famous quote by Emily Dickinson,
Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul – and
sings the tunes without the
words – and never stops at all.
The cartoon is kind of hard to see. It’s done by Australian artist Michael Leunig. There is a bird inside the cage-man looking up at a free-bird in the tree. I’ve felt like that all my life… The quote is just so perfect for the picture and is one of the things that has kept me going more than once.
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So I leave you with a question today. How would YOU define HOPE? I’d love to hear YOUR opinion! Is it a positive or negative emotion?
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Picture Credits:
Tolle quote — www.azquotes.com
Hope quote — www.colleenannesnow.com
Impromptu Promptlings 
I’ve been spending a lot of time investigating Buddhism as a philosophy, Calen and so, in part, I agree with Tolle (although like Raili over at Soul Gifts I have no time for him). I also agree with the first comment, ‘hope is rooted in the moment.’ What I’m learning about Buddhism is the impermanence of our being, which lies behind Buddhist’s focus on the moment. I’d never give up on hope because it sustains us, it’s just that I realise what we hope for, and the conditions that cause us to hope, change moment by moment. Sitting with that, being mindful of it, has given me more peace that I dreamed possible. Then again, I’m a new born when it comes to understanding Buddhism, but a fascinated, intrigued new born.) (This is the first time and place I’ve publically declared my interest in secular Buddhism so now I feel more confident about saying it on my blog 😉😱😄. Thanks for a brilliant post.)
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I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to talk about it here, Janet. Makes me feel I’m doing the job I set out to do on my blog. I haven’t studied Buddhism at all, but I’ve picked some things up from friends. It made me stop killing bugs! I think it’s very calming. That would be an interesting philosophy to think about hope with, too.
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Thanks Calen. I really appreicate your blog and our little exchanges. Cheers, Janet
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I’m with you…and Dickinson!
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And Maya Angelou who knows why the caged bird sings… (I’ve got that book. I need to read it.)
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I looove Lleunig’s work ! And Eckhardt Tolle for some reason has always left me cold. I read some of his stuff when it first came out and was all the rage. Even then I didn’t get what all the rage was about. Still don’t. Just one of those authors whose work does not resonate with me for some reason. I’m sure there’s lots of nuggets of gold in there, but I found it so off putting the first time I have had no inclination to go revisit. Hope – it springs eternal. It’s a positive thing.
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You know, I’ve tried to find a copy of that Leunig cartoon on line. Kim sent it to me ages ago when she realized I felt like a prisoner in my own life. His perception meant a lot to me. Made me cry. But it was just scanned into her computer and wasn’t clear. So if ever you see it anywhere in the paper or anything, snag it for me, will ya?
I ran across Tolle when I was just beginning to dig around in my “heart cave.” A lot of what he said was new and eye-opening to me. But like you, I take a lot of what I read with a grain of salt — especially where Oprah is concerned, and it was through her TV program I was introduced to him. Were I to reread that book now, I doubt I’d respond in the same way. I’m not the same person. As to hope, I can’t imagine how anyone survived Hitler’s concentration camps without a tiny seed of hope in their heart. So I guess I see it as positive, too.
Still there are times when we hope for things to come to pass in our lives that we probably know good and well are not right for us, or are plainly impossible. And if we’re hanging onto them, then I can also see how hope could keep one stuck. I’ve been there, AM there in regards to a couple things.
I think it’s an interesting question…
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It’s a big one to go spelunking around in. Many nuances. I sure will keep an eye out for the Leunig cartoon.
I think information and stuff comes into our lives when we need it, we pick what need out of it, and move on. Sometimes revisits yield deeper insights, sometimes it’s just time to move on to other stuff. I think I found Carolyn Myss around then and dove in deep with her profound works. Still do dip my toe in when I feel the need to.
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I bought her book about the Castle but I wasn’t able to get into it. I know for a fact I wasn’t in the right place for that one. I’m going to have to get off the computer and start reading again… And I’m on board with ya about the rest of that. That’s why a Bible verse can knock my socks off and two years later I think, why’d I underline that? Life is fluid that way…
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I’m glad it came at the right moment Cheryl. I don’t agree with the statement of Tolle’s. While I can see that the moment is all we really have and that in order to be happy and fulfilled we need to live in it and appreciate it fully I believe hope is rooted in that moment, it resides there and not in the future. It is optimistic. It suggests that the actions, thoughts and dreams we have in the now can effect the future and make it better. We build out moments in perfection so that our future might be brighter!
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I believe hope is rooted in that moment, it resides there and not in the future. That’s beautiful. And it makes a lot of sense. Thanks, Opher. 🙂
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