Hope is Essential

   During morning mantra today, lots of little anxieties came slipping through my mind. I apologized to the deity for thinking more of the future than of her and then wondered if a Goddess would tire of hearing numerous peoples little worries?

It got me to thinking about my mother, who always said not to pray to God for things. She has a"hope- ing man" she asks for things. I kind of prefer the hope-in' man as she pronounces it, to anxiety.

       I am not a big fan of request prayers, although I will admit to uttering a few, but I am a true believer in hope. His Holiness the Dalai Lama states "Our day-to-day existence is very much alive with hope, although there is no guarantee of our future. But still we are working for that purely on the basis of hope."

 

Although our whole life is spent in the present moment, in order to get things done we must set an intention that is future orientated. Intentions are the path, hope is the persistence to keep going and attainment is the goal. Little worries do not really fit into this plan, because essentially they are hamster wheel thinking. Still, I think they are reality for many, myself included.

      Next time my mantra goes off track, I will remind myself of the hope-in' man. Instead of rumination, I will allow my meditation to point me in the direction of an intention and hope. And if I can't stop the worries, I will notice them and let them pass, stepping off of the hamster wheel of hopelessness as I do.

      His Holiness says, "Without expectation and hope, without aspiration, there can be no progress. Some hope is essential." Time to replace worry with hope. My new mantra...hope is essential.  Little anxieties may creep in, but my intention will see me through and the Goddess will hear only hope in my meditation today.

       blissings, amberspiral