Hope in the Middle of the Desert – ElPropósito4 min de lectura

Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

Faith, trust, motivation, hope: what ties these words together is a healthy dose of optimism. One of our great gifts as human beings is imagination, for better or for worse. By worse I mean that this ability often works against us (as it does for me when I sometimes spiral into anxiety from overthinking). Yet when imagination looks forward, toward the good and a better future, and above all keeps alive the belief that "the best is yet to come," nothing can stop us.

The desert can be seen from many angles, from a place with no water at all to the point where we can say, "I chose to enter the desert, I came prepared and I want to enjoy what it teaches me." In the worst case, when every hope seems pointless, the great Viktor Frankl left us a human principle: our ability to choose how we face any situation. That may be the last of the human freedoms, and one no one can take from us.

Life’s hardest tests usually fall among the things we can’t control, so we rarely know why they’re happening while they unfold. Over time, though, we come to see them as scars whose only function is to make us better people: more human, more humble, more aware and, above all, more committed to our values.

Life itself is a string of situations, day after day, over which we have little or almost no control. Even over our own body and mind, very little falls within our sphere of influence. And yet we have a natural awareness that lets us make decisions and steer them toward our wellbeing and that of everything around us. To some extent, we can invest our energy in two or three decisions that help us live better, and it’s precisely in that injection of energy that we can find hope and motivation for the promising future within our reach, however small it may be.

The desert, like the jungle, is full of life, and as the saying goes, where there’s life there’s hope. Our time in this world is so brief that whatever we do, a little or a lot, as long as it’s in line with our life’s purpose, will always give us the confidence that we’re doing the right thing. A life with purpose is the one that lets us find hope in the middle of the desert.

"…es un soplo la vida, que veinte años no es nada…" (life is but a breath, and twenty years is nothing)

Warm regards,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. This week’s VELA (what I was Watching, Listening to, Reading and Learning):

Before the VELA, I should explain that I haven’t been able to put these posts on my website because it’s been under renovation. I want to thank Fernando Gómez of UpYournet for all his support. Fer, you’re one of the very best, and you’ve done a great job.

• If the posts are already up, I invite you to take a look and leave me any comments. Your feedback is always welcome.

  Now, this week’s VELA:

• What I was Watching: La Ciencia de la felicidad (The Science of Happiness). A great interview. What stood out for me was the importance of exercise and of the high-quality relationships we need, especially when it comes to happiness
  – What I was Listening to: Una historia de Europa (A History of Europe). I admire Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and I have to confess that with these podcasts I’ve found a real treasure, a true gem
  – What I was Reading: Governance Reform and Shared Value. A somewhat dense article, but by one of my favorite authors (Michael Porter). What stood out for me is the part companies play in society, and how they may have one of the most important roles in building any kind of capability, well beyond philanthropy
  – What I was Learning: What makes muscles grow. A short TED-Ed with plenty of science behind it, especially on muscle growth, something I’m focusing on more and more

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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