My Recent Response to the Question: "What Brings You Hope?"

Photo by Ronak Valobobhai on Unsplash

Someone asked me last week: “What brings you hope?”

I had to sit with that question for a while… 

There’s been a lot of turmoil, chaos, and just poor treatment of one another as of late and this question really highlighted how my faith in humanity has been dwindling. 

But then I thought about the clients I’ve been working with: how much they have survived, how much they support and lean on one another, and seeing so many of them invest so much into their healing and thrive. And this brought me hope. 

And then I thought about small acts of kindness that I’ve witnessed or received: the woman parked next to me at the grocery store who offered to take my cart with her when she took her own cart to the receptacle. And this brought me hope. 

And then I sat down to re-watch a new favorite TV show (for the 3rd or 4th time), Ted Lasso, as a form of comfort and coping. And this brought me hope…  

When I watch this show, I witness a character who exemplifies so many of my core values such as authenticity; kindness; honesty; humility; compassion for what people have been through, and yet holding people accountable for inappropriate behaviors. This character holds space for the open expression and processing of emotions without shame or judgment, as well as for the opportunity and inspiration for individual growth and change. Furthermore, there’s an honest portrayal of the role that mental health plays in our lives and the value of seeking support for that from a professional (as a therapist, this has been one of the few appropriate representations of a therapist on TV/movies and I appreciate that).

I find hope in the fact that someone (Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt) created this concept for characters that so beautifully exemplify these values that I hold near and dear, AND I find hope in how popular this show has become. I interpret the show’s popularity as an indication that there are other people that envision the same ideal for humanity as I do, and that there is an abundance of people out there who, like me, resonate with this ideal. This brings me hope. 

I hold hope that there are enough of us out there to fuel a cultural shift wherein these idealized characteristics can become a reality for us to inspire a society of human interaction that is built from a foundation of kindness, compassion, humility, and accountability.