On Sunday I spoke to a leader of a wisdom community who is a dear friend of mine.
He shared something that so many of us are feeling: Despair.
I told him that I feel that sometimes, too.
We discussed the challenge of exclusive in-grouping in the form of ethnic nationalism. We wondered if what we are doing can make a difference.
We talked about the great leaders of the past and we wondered how they had the strength to do what they did, not only for their group but for humanity.
But then I wondered out loud:
Maybe these leaders were simply being who the Creator made them to be. Maybe they were just being themselves. Perhaps that is all we can ask of ourselves in these times. Even though we may see powerful social forces and dynamics at play, perhaps we can just joyously be who the Creator is making us to be.
As we discussed this, both of us felt a sense of relief. Both of us found our energy returning.
There might be times when you wonder if you are making a positive difference in the world. You may even experience moments of despair. You are not alone.
But maybe we are not called to force some kind of outcome, but to simply offer the gifts we have to give, and to enjoy doing it. We offer our gifts trusting that, woven together with the gifts of others, some new possibility will emerge.
Hope comes, I am realizing, not in being sure of an outcome, but in honoring our most authentic self and offering that to the world.