“… we shall hew from this mountain of despair a small stone of hope.” — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is hope? How do we find hope when we are overwhelmed by a mountain of despair? Spencer, Maria, and May talk about their experiences of finding hope in the midst of their times of confusion, fear, and despair.
Some of the questions we used to guide our discussion included these:
- How did you experience hope before you came to the program?
- Did you “hope for” particular outcomes?
- Has your conception or experience of hope changed as you have worked the program?
- Do you see a difference between having a hopeful attitude versus an optimistic attitude?
- The “Stockdale paradox” is that the POWs in Vietnam who didn't survive were the optimists.
- In his “dream” speech, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”
- What does this say to you?
- Does faith support or engender hope for you? (Faith in a higher power, faith in the program, faith that there are good people, faith…)
- How can we find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation?
- Can hope lift us from despair, as King suggests?
Upcoming topics are forgiveness, co-dependency, and Tradition 4. Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email feedback@therecoveryshow.com with your questions or experience, strength and hope. Or just leave a comment right here.
Music from the show
George Michael: Faith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu3VTngm1F0
Superchick: Stand in the Rain
Bright Eyes: Bowl of Oranges
Other Stuff
Our friend Charlie recommended an interesting article titled “Achieving Failure — The Patient Who Cured His Therapist“, which centers on serenity. Another thing I picked up was how attempting to change or control another person can be harmful to our own spiritual and mental health. Check it out.