All in all, it’s been a hard week. A week when the force of love was especially needed.

But when we’re being bombarded with the level of hate and fear-related crimes that we’ve had this past week, it can be a bit challenging (for me, anyway) to keep despair at bay. It’s been the kind of week when I needed to consciously and deliberately seek ways to reinforce my belief in the greater good of humankind.

I had to fight to regain a sense of hope that we can rally together and overcome the forces of fear, hate and greed. It’s important to do that, to fight the inner battle so that we have the strength to go out and play our part in making the world a better place.

It’s important to remember that the world is full of beauty and love, even though it is also full of hardship. Focusing on this gives us the resilience to keep going, to keep fighting the good fight.

So, to help with the inner battle, I’ve compiled a list of quotes. If you find yourself struggling with feelings of hopelessness this week, I hope they will help to kickstart your sense of hope again:

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” ~ Desmond Tutu

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once ,but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” ~ Michelle Obama

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” ~ Robert H. Schuller

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.” ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.” ~ Chester W. Nimitz

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” ~ Nelson Mandela

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” ~ Mother Teresa

Relephant:

The Key to Getting Through Tough Times.

Paris & its Loving Kindness.

Author: Hilda Carroll

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Anthony Tran/Unsplash