I’ll say it again: there’s a lot going on right now.
There are changes happening, structurally and politically, and it’s affecting many, many people, professionally and personally.
We live in a historically unique time in which we’re exposed to an unrelenting firehose of news, much of which is unsettling. It can be hard to self-regulate when we’re in the know about so much harm, hate, and human suffering.
Some may choose to limit their exposure to the barrage of bad news. Some choose to keep up with the deluge. Some don’t have a choice: the news directly impacts their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
Hope can feel hard to come by. But hope is the fuel for creating the world we want. It is a necessary ingredient in whatever purpose we commit ourselves to. It powers the actions we take to promote what we value. Without hope, we don’t move.
If you’re like us at Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, there are massive things we’d like to see changed, in our state, nation, and world, as it relates to children and families. We want all children, without exception, to live happy and purposeful lives. We want their lives, and the lives of their families, to be filled with hope for the future. And we know what kinds of things make that vision possible: accessible and affordable childcare; parents having the time and resources to care for their children; families being connected to who and what they need.
It can be both invigorating and discouraging to have such a grand vision. Invigorating because of the clarity and conviction we have to do what we know is right. Discouraging because what we want is beyond what any one of us can achieve ourselves.
But don’t allow yourself to be discouraged for too long. When you feel your hope being cheese-grated by the deluge of world news, remember this: hope is hyper-local.
People are coming up with creative ways to do what’s right, right now, where they are. I know this because I see it every day:
It’s the 5k race that a group of volunteers organized to raise money for our cause, and the hundreds of people who showed up to run or to cheer.
It’s the brilliant idea we’re funding – generated by lived experts at the Family Involvement Center – that gives children scholarships for sports activities, so that families don’t have to choose between rent and letting their kids participate in a positive childhood experience.
It’s in the conversations I have with people who are exploring co-locating their services to make it easier on families to find what they need.
There are so many of us who care, and who do things, every day, to better our community. These things might feel small, but they are actually the building blocks of the world we want to see.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the big picture, don’t let it suppress the innate power you have to act where you are.
Action can look like picking up trash on your street. Erasing the slur on the park playground (rubbing alcohol works beautifully on Sharpie). Texting a new parent an encouraging word. Holding the door open for someone and giving them a smile. Meeting with a colleague and coming up with something you could do together to make lives brighter for the people you serve.
Hope is hyper-local. Hope is an energy you have the power and right to cultivate. And it’s grown from acting where you are, with who you are, and with what you have, right now.