Hopium
Hopium (juego con las palabras: esperanza (hope) y opio (opium)--por Margaret Wheatley
El problema con la esperanza es que es bipolar. Cada vez que confiamos en la esperanza, siempre traemos miedo. La sabiduría enseña que la esperanza y el miedo son dos lados de la misma dinámica. Ya lo sabes por experiencia propia. Piensa en cuando pusiste gran esperanza y esfuerzo en un proyecto, causa o persona. Trabajaste muy duro para lograr el éxito, pero luego fracasó por causas fuera de tu control. ¿Cómo te sentiste entonces?
Demasiad@s de nosotr@s, buenas personas dedicadas a generar cambios, nos hemos vuelto adictos a la esperanza. Sentimos desesperación por la destrucción del planeta, de los pueblos, de las especies y del futuro. Sin embargo, todavía tenemos que marcar la diferencia, por lo que nos aferramos a la esperanza para motivarnos y energizarnos.
Como superviviente del Holocausto, Hannah Arendt, dijo: "La esperanza es una barrera peligrosa para actuar con valentía en tiempos oscuros. En la esperanza, el alma salta por encima de la realidad, así como en el miedo se aleja de ella".
Es hora de tomar conciencia de este ciclo y liberarnos de la droga del “Hopium”. “Hopium” nunca nos da la energía y la motivación que necesitamos para contribuir y perseverar. A medida que nos liberamos del ciclo de la esperanza y el miedo, no nos convertimos en personas inútiles y sin esperanza. En cambio, nos convertimos en personas que pueden ver claramente cómo contribuir de manera significativa. Descubrimos trabajos que marcan una diferencia diferente. Contribuimos significativamente dentro de nuestra esfera de influencia sobre una persona, una comunidad, una causa local.
Aquellos que se preocupan profundamente por un/a amig@ o familiar que es adicto, a veces crean una intervención para que la persona vea su adicción y descubra una mejor manera. Es mi sincera aspiración que nos liberemos de Hopium para que podamos descubrir un trabajo significativo para servir al espíritu humano y al espíritu de la vida.
La esperanza nos ciega a ver nuestro camino de contribución. Con perspicacia y compasión, descubrimos abundantes formas de contribuir a este momento de gran sufrimiento para los pueblos y el planeta.
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la noción de que la esperanza y el miedo son dos lados de la misma dinámica? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de un momento en que pudiste ir más allá de la esperanza y el miedo y ver claramente cómo podías contribuir de manera significativa? ¿Qué te ayuda a mantenerte arraigad@ en tu contribución?
Margaret Wheatley es una célebre autora de libros. El extracto anterior es de su artículo de Medium Liberándonos de la adicción a la esperanza.
Margaret Wheatley is a celebrated author of many books. Excerpt above is from her Medium article Freeing Ourselves from the Addiction of Hope.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that hope and fear are two sides of the same dynamic? Can you share a personal story of a time you were able to move beyond hope and fear and see clearly how you could contribute in meaningful ways? What helps you stay rooted in your contribution?
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23 Past Reflections
On Nov 3, 2022 Violette wrote :
Great delivery. Great arguments. Keep upp the good spirit.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Diana Macpherson wrote :
Hope and fear can be part of the same dynamic. Hope is the light in the darkness of fear. It lights the path of action. The path to action with compassion, purpose and meaning. Without light we are in the darkness. Without hope we are hopeless.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Christine wrote :
Evil has a way of destroying every ounce of Hope. It convinces Us and lies to Us. Hope has kept the World going. However, if We let Evil win and We buy their lies Then Humans have lost. Love conquers this ugliness. If We all Love eachother and accept eachother as We are the Evil will die. Do you have the faith and Courage to Love?
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On Nov 1, 2022 Sigurd wrote :
Dealing with full-time care (starting about 4 weeks ago) of our 52 year old son with ALS has shown me that the only way to maintain equanimity with all the ups and downs is to take things as they are - never as good as hoped for nor as bad as fear or despair might imagine. My "contribution" is staying engaged and balanced in order to handle whatever might arise.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Chelsea wrote :
One way I can think about this is that hope is a desire to change the way things are, and in that desire to change the way things are, there can be a lack of acceptance for what is. In my experience, I must first accept the way things are without fear, despair, or sadness. Then I can be the change I want to see in the world rather than hope for the change I want to see in the world.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Sharon wrote :
Midst this challenging chaos, I choose truth ,acceptance and resilience. Having faced rejection, I've endured;Having faced sadness and loss, I've been grateful;Having seen violence, I've girded myself for future aggressions. Therefore I have persisted.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Mariette wrote :
This author misidentifies hope. In her description of hope, I hear expectation, attachment, that « I am the answer » (or a version of that). For me, that’s desire. And desire comes from my ego self, which is why it’s attached and full of expectation. My hope is not these things. The hope I’m filled with is light, inviting, open, and most importantly unattached. It’s fueled my possibility, of which none comes from me. It comes through me and I feel blessed to be the vessel. And yes; there can be fear there as my lower self struggles to see myself in that light and possibility.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Annette wrote :
Without hope, or hopelessness, is dangerous. I have it instead of expectations which to me can leave one with worse disappointments when not fulfilled. With hope I am aware that what I want/need may not happen but the hope gives me strength to move on. The flame of hope is forever burning even if it's almost imperceptible. If it gets snuffed out, then why bother living. I don't want to merely just exist. I count my blessings and feel gratitude always and that gives me hope.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Julie wrote :
it seems to me that hope grows out of fear, increasing fear breeds increasing hope, hope produces unrealistic expectations which lead to disappointment rather than action.
Following inner wisdom, there is potential for clarity, alertness and participation in the inner and outer lives. May we all be free from Hopium 🌱
Following inner wisdom, there is potential for clarity, alertness and participation in the inner and outer lives. May we all be free from Hopium 🌱
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On Nov 1, 2022 Usha wrote :
Hope I think is something that helps us take action, take those little steps in the darkness without which we could freeze in times of helplessness. Hope is that ignition that dwells courage. Without hope we would be lost.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Crw wrote :
Thank you for your thoughtful reflection on hope. I can see the duality of hope and fear. I suppose any positive attribute can become an addiction. For me hope is having trust in the unseen—the unknown, and not having hope for a particular outcome that I would like to happen. Hope is holding the future lightly allowing myself to be open to whatever comes. Times of darkness always come and I can be filled with hopelessness and fear—but I also try to embrace the darkness and walk through it—even when I’d rather not. And I do find hope on the other side. I don’t seek it—it arrives with signs of new life like spring after a hard winter.
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On Nov 1, 2022 Crw wrote :
Thank you for your thoughtful reflection on hope. I can see the duality of hope and fear. I suppose any positive attribute can become an addiction. For me hope is having trust in the unseen—the unknown, and not having hope for a particular outcome that I would like to happen. Hope is holding the future lightly allowing myself to be open to whatever comes. Times of darkness always come and I can be filled with hopelessness and fear—but I also try to embrace the darkness and walk through it—even when I’d rather not. And I do find hope on the other side. I don’t seek it—it arrives with signs of new life like spring after a hard winter.
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On Nov 1, 2022 d watson wrote :
Well...I appreciate this article, bringing how the energy of hope can become my captive. I believe in the power of my words and have made a small step to substitute the word trust where I normally say hope. For me it gives a different renaissance. As others have spoke of here, I find less attachment to the final outcome easies my fear, anxiety...whatever emotion I may have tied to it. I also believe I become more resilient with my practice of trust AND love AND my belief in the inherent goodness of everything. My mind settles and my path becomes clear. ❤️
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On Nov 1, 2022 Jazzy wrote :
I view hope differently. I used to confuse hope with wishful thinking or wanting a specific outcome or expecting something “positive” is going to happen. Hope for me is knowing that no matter what, God/Goddess/Higher Power loves me unconditionally and is always with me. Hope causes action in me to contribute in any way I can to the welfare of all people and our planet.
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On Oct 31, 2022 stan79 wrote :
hope... when based in reality... is born and sustained and aumented, by an awareness of the actuality of competence...
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On Oct 31, 2022 Vijayam Raghu wrote :
While Fear lurks hidden somewhere in our mind it is Hope and a never-say-die conviction that helps to overcome the crisis we are in, I think here, besides 100% perseverance, prayer also helps to keep our conviction strong and going. Have experienced this when a family member was ill and doctors almost gave up.
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On Oct 31, 2022 Noel Barcelona wrote :
This is very true. I am currently broken, deep inside because the things that I hoped for failed. Projects that should be bringing in money had been canceled or stopped and the things that I am hoping to sell have not yet been sold. It is frustrating. I love the things that you said, but what is the cure for Hopium? I know and I believe that we are destined to free ourselves from the yoke of whatever burdens us. Thank you for this and greetings from the Philippines.
1 reply: Chelsea | Post Your Reply
On Oct 29, 2022 David Doane wrote :
I see that hope and fear go together. You hope for some outcome, your ability to make it happen is limited at best, and you fear it won't happen. I know my control of outcome is limited, so I like when I let go of my hold on hope and its hold on me by focusing on action that I believe is right and letting go of trying to control outcome, leaving outcome to forces bigger than me. When I focus on right action and let go of outcome, I move beyond hope and fear, and my right action is my contribution which I believe is meaningful. Letting go of trying to produce a certain outcome is letting go of hope and fear. What helps me stay rooted in my contribution is my conviction that I can control only my action, not outcome, and right action is a meaningful contribution.
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On Oct 28, 2022 Vinod wrote :
When it springs from faith, “hope” is a supercharged laser light that points the way forward and powers us to take the next step, and the next, until we’re home.
When it springs from blind belief and desperate craving for something to happen, or aversion for something to not happen, “hope” leads us into further into the murky depths of darkness and delusion and distances us from the truth.
On it’s own, hope is just a word.
It’s how you use it that really matters.
Hope this helps :)
When it springs from blind belief and desperate craving for something to happen, or aversion for something to not happen, “hope” leads us into further into the murky depths of darkness and delusion and distances us from the truth.
On it’s own, hope is just a word.
It’s how you use it that really matters.
Hope this helps :)
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On Oct 28, 2022 Ted wrote :
I see hope and despair as the bipolar opposites, and fear as the energy behind BOTH of those. Both hope (that something may change for example), and despair (that it will not) are for the future rather than recognizing what actually exists NOW (where the opportunity for action really is). My finite ego can only see things in terms of duality: light vs dark, good vs bad, happy vs sad, right vs wrong, hope vs despair, and ALL of those are expressions of my egoic attachment vs aversion, fueled by fears (that the "good" may be lost or insufficient. while the "bad" may manifest or multiply). In the bigger picture, Love can be recognized as being behind the fears (Love of existence and life, love of seeing truth clearly, loving-kindness: metta, compassion, etc.). When I consciously choose Awareness of unlimited Love, and act in each moment of now on that basis, then I am not dependent on clinging to fragile hope for some future, and there is no suffering...
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On Oct 28, 2022 Jagdish P. Dave wrote :
Addiction to hope or any other thing causes suffering. When I am addiced to hope for creating changes internally as well as externally, I am paving the path of disappoinement. Addiction is like clinging to hope for changing what I hope to change. Sadly, such clinging or being attached to even a worthy cause results in suffering. I want to change, I hope to change but I am afraid to change. What if things don't go right? What if I lose in my efforts to create change? As the author Margaret Whitney says hope is bipolar. Hope and fear are two sides of the same dynamic.
When I have unrealistic hope and when I get addicted to it I cause my own suffereing. I have realized that my addiction to hope creates misery. Freeing myself from the addiction to hope is a wise way of living. I create my own suffering and I can be free from my own suffering.
We cultivate skills of being rooted in the ground so that the winds of change and hope may not uproot us. Practicing the skill of awareness has ... [View Full Comment]