On the lookout for goodness

delighted and certain it's out there

Photo courtesy of Yours and Mine Productions

I recently commented on

Rita Ott Ramstad

’s post Running on Ice with Knives with the comment:

My mantra is that ‘The story just isn't over yet.’ Goodness always prevails; it just takes time.

She responded: "I so hope you are right about goodness prevailing," which triggered me to question myself. Rita isn't the first to express a somewhat doubtful hope. I welcomed the chance to study my seemingly unstoppable optimism during negative times.

Let me start by saying it's not that I don't succumb to fear and sadness and anger over the state of our country, both politically and environmentally, the hatred and greed that are running rampant, the absolute disregard for women's rights and the LGBTQ+ community, along with the planned mass deportation, just for starters. And then there are the appointments to the highest positions in our government, up for grabs by the lowest in society.

This morning, I read that Meta will now allow "allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like 'weird.'" There are other changes that are just as disturbing.

But the good news is, "Other slurs and what Meta calls 'harmful stereotypes historically linked to intimidation' — such as Blackface and Holocaust denial — are still prohibited."

Wow. Are we to applaud Meta for still standing that ground?

I have no words, but I do have the choice to close my accounts.

Trust me, I'm losing sleep like probably many of you are. But somewhere buried deep, I've always believed in the power of goodness, and I've been proven right repeatedly, to the point that I've lost the ability to doubt that goodness will prevail.

I have come to believe that The Universe is always aiding and assisting us if we are striving for goodness; we just don't see it. It's not something we can put a needle in and extract a substance, measure and study its effects, so we discount it.

But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. We also can't measure love in any quantifiable way, yet love keeps this globe spinning.

We mimic nature in that there is no limit to what the Universe can offer us to assist in our endeavors. As long as we work toward a common goal, preserving our planet and striving for acceptance and equality for all people, the Universe will rock our cause. And even if we lose hope, the Universe won't; she'll just be waiting impatiently for us to catch up to her.

Many of us are tired and need a break from the world. That's okay. I'm doing my part to enjoy a short hibernation from the news and what transpires around me. But once I'm rested, it's time to continue the fight, uniting with people who have common goals, and fight back in every possible way I can by doing things differently than I might have in the past.

Writing this post is a different choice for me. I do not aspire to write about politics, and I've been dead set against it until now. This is an example of me doing something outside my comfort zone for a cause I believe in. I won't do it often, but I will remain open to the idea if it makes even a slight difference because Mother Nature will double down on my efforts. If we all make minor adjustments, we become a force. The Universe will be lighting our way and connecting us with kindred spirits.

I am sharing

Gillian & Li'l Bean

’s post this week about hope, which couples beautifully with my thoughts here. I will include the link to the complete post below.

Gillian writes,

Some in the climate/collapse space dismiss hope as a dangerous delusion - hopium. That does not work for me. I want and need real hope.

Hope is a way of thinking, not a passive feeling or emotion. Hoping is not the same as wishing, even though we often use the words interchangeably.

I like Chan Hellman's definition: "Hope is a belief that the future will be better than today, and you have the power to make it so."

That last line says it all. It's up to us to use our power, never give up, and remember that we have the Universe on our side.

Gillian ends with:

In Hellman's words, "hope begets hope" and "hope is a social gift that happens in relationship with each other", for real hope inspires others to take action too.

Mother Nature didn't create billions of beautiful and distinctively unique humans to discard so many of them for some arbitrary reason like race, gender, sexuality, or religious beliefs. And she sure didn't create this ridiculously gorgeous planet for us to destroy for greed and money.

You know that look mothers get when they tolerate their children's foolishness but are just about ready to take control?

The Universe is biding her time, nodding her head up and down and then back and forth, beyond annoyed. Up and down is her acknowledgment of her children's plight; back and forth is her answer—"No, this does not work for me."

She's all about goodness; if you're working with her, you're golden. But if not, she can throw down like no other.

I've enjoyed thinking through the reasons for my optimism. I've missed many additional reasons, but these are enough for me to stay the course.

When questioned about how I maintain my positive outlook going forward, I'll likely offer a link to this post, nod politely and tell you that the story just isn't over yet.

I will be back on Monday with my cup of thoughts. I will not be talking politics, but I will be offering something quiet and serene if you’re in need.

Namaste my friends.

Hope or Hopium?