Friend Maribeth shared this Robert Hubbell post. Most of it is about his thoughts surrounding the January 6 Committee hearings. Toward the end, though, Hubbell talks about reality, hope, and optimism with regards to the survivability of our democracy.
What I find most interesting is Hubbell’s distinction among hope, optimism, and reality. I’m beginning to see these three as a triumvirate, a troika, or, most graphically, the three legs of an easel upon which the future will be painted – or, rather, upon which we can do the painting.
It all relates to the future we envision and must actively midwife into being. Less so, if at all, to the one that is dying and that we must, with great compassion, hospice into history.
- REALITY is the world as it manifests today – from micro to macro, personal to global, inner and outer – as best we can discern it. It’s important that we always remind ourselves that there is much more to reality than we think there is. It is composed of all that is to be hospiced as well as elements of our intended future that already exist or are emerging and to be midwifed. And it serves as the starting point for the journey to that intended future.
- HOPE is that vision of the future we intend. It’s what gets us up in the morning.
- OPTIMISM is our conviction (not just belief) that we will prevail and that that vision will manifest – perhaps in our lifetime, perhaps not, but certainly at the right time.
All three are essential to sustain the easel and are certainly not incompatible with one another.
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