The Magic of Open-eyed Hope

Open-eyed hope is the opposite of blind hope.  I was taught, when I was working 0n my (unfinished) Master's in Guidance and Counseling, that blind hope is dangerous to us. I was told that people tend to hope the most when a situation is the most hopeless.  But I discovered 'open-eyed hope' the other evening as a way to get a bit more energy when you need to make progress on a creative project.  I made the reasoned decision to hang in there a bit more on something I was doing.  I decided to act as if I had hope of being successful.  By deciding to have hope, I gained energy and made a good deal of progress.  I didn't expect the energy, but I needed it.  I was just experimenting with the idea of 'Hang in there, baby'.  I remembered that poster of a kitten hanging from a branch, kind of in a panic, with the caption of 'Hang in there, Baby'.  A wise cat would have let go and gained solid ground.  This kitten was hanging on because he didn't know what else to do.  I suggest to all wise magicians that when you feel like hanging on is not the best idea but something you have to do, just stop
and think it out. You are free to quit.  To give up hoping or to take a vacation from it at least.  If you choose to hope, choose to hang on just a bit more, things change.  When you choose to have hope and act to make it worth while to do so, the panic will leave.  Having to do something and choosing to do something are very different from each other.  Figure the odds.  Realize that your change of attitude and greater belief in yourself gives you more resources and power than you had before.  The odds are now in your favor.  Blind hope is actually a state of trying to deny that the situation is hopeless.  When you are free to quit or go on the power is all yours.  You can assess where you can get help or decide what to do differently.  That is what goes on with 'open-eyed hope'.  So choose something that is a reasonable thing to hope about, something you desire, that will make your life better.  Then bring that into your life.  May the spark be with you.