Hope can create and obstacle for you, and if you dwell in the energy of hope, you will not bring yourself back entirely into the present moment. If you re-channel those energies into being aware of what is going on in the present moment, you will be able to make a breakthrough and discover joy and peace in the present moment, inside of yourself and around you.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step

What do you hope for: a new car, a new house, a new relationship? How much energy do you put into hoping for new things in your life? Hanh rightly points out that sometimes our hopes for the future can be obstacles for us in the present. Instead of seeing the blessings we have around us right now, we focus all our energy on the things we wish we had ... the things we hope for.

I've fallen into this trap many times recently. There are so many things I hope for ... and one thing in particular ... that I forget to look at the many blessings I have right now.

Hanh is not telling us to put our hopes aside permanently -- far from it. Hoping is not inherently a bad thing. Without hope we fall into despair. Without dreams for the future we fail to see the importance of the here and now. Hope is a wonderful thing!

However, when our hope for future things, or future feelings, prevents us from fully living in the present moment, our hope has become an obstacle. When we get so wrapped up in what we want in the future and forget to give thanks for the many things that God has provided for us right this moment, we block our path to attaining that hope in the future. We must get out of our own way and realize that, truly, all we have is this present moment. Our hopes are not yet realized, they are not yet ours. This present moment is ours and there is much joy and peace to be found in it.

Some may quibble with that assessment, arguing that life in the present moment is unbearable, bereft of any happiness. You're just not looking close enough for the happiness! You're breathing at this moment, aren't you? Take a moment to truly enjoy breathing in and out! You're reading these words at the moment, aren't you? Take a moment to mentally thank the teachers who taught you how to read so you can take part in the joy of gathering knowledge through the written word! Look out the window, take in the sights and give thanks for your vision! There is much happiness around you at the moment. Take time to enjoy this present moment to its fullest!

Continue to hope for the dreams you want fulfilled, but don't let your hope for the future distract you from the peace and happiness you can find right this minute.

Blessings,
Candace