by Kathie England

Hope and Courage

“Vulnerability is courage. It’s the willingness to show up and be seen in our lives. And in those moments when we show up, I think those are the most powerful, meaning-making moments of our lives even if they don’t go well. I think they define who we are.”

Those were the words of Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston and presenter of one of the top five most-viewed TED Talks in the world, during her interview by Krista Tippett for her On Being podcast.

https://onbeing.org/programs/brene-brown-the-courage-to-be-vulnerable-jan2015/

Last month in writing about hope I quoted Vaclav Havel, “Hope is an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed.”

I also shared definitions of hope by Jonathan Rowson and Roberto Unger – “It’s not just so much about thinking things will be better, but actually seeing a place that’s worth going to and orienting your will towards that.”

Brené Brown believes – “Hope is a function of struggle.”

Are you willing to engage in the most existential struggle we face on our planet – the climate crisis?

Are you willing to show up and join young people throughout the world in climate strikes September 20-27?

https://globalclimatestrike.net/

I close by paraphrasing Albert Schweitzer – we often don’t know how our lives impact others, but it is the courage to keep trying.

To face the climate crisis we must allow ourselves to be vulnerable, find the courage to keep trying, and remember that “hope is a function of struggle.”

Who knows how our showing up can impact the future of our planet?