Hope Out of Misery

The ChopSaver journey has been long and arduous, but I try to practice what I preach and focus on the gains and not obsess on what is still left to do. With that mindset, I find myself in a relatively good place of calm and peace in my relationships, my work and mission, and yes, growing abundance. But I don’t have to look far to see friends suffering horrible losses and world events bringing yet another example of man’s inhumanity to man onto our TVs, phone screens, and social media. And I have had my share of difficult times. No one is immune to suffering.

I am fortunate to call entrepreneur and philanthropist David Meltzer a friend and mentor. On a recent coaching call, I asked him about world events. He reminded me you can’t be sad enough to relieve others of their sadness nor does being poor help people who are in need. Soon after, he was taking a call from a man in Ukraine who had lost his desire to pursue his dreams because of what was happening to his country. But he was, fortunately, still with his family and was relatively safe. David reminded him of the “opportunity” to practice gratitude in the face of senseless circumstances and to be a beacon of hope to those around him.

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, the noted psychiatrist Victor Frankl tells the story of how he learned to be grateful for the fish head in his watery soup as he endured life in a concentration camp. The concept is brilliantly summed up by Rabbi Harold Kushner in the book’s Foreword with these words: 

“We are never left with nothing as long as we retain the freedom to choose how we will respond.”

So long as you are able, be a light, be kind, help whenever and wherever you can. If you believe, as I do, that we are all connected on some level, those ripples of positivity are more important than ever.  Misery may love company, but what it really needs is compassion and hope for a way forward.