Beliefs lead to actions which lead to outcomes.
When you believe in something you act in accord with those beliefs and your subsequent actions result in outcomes of hope or disappointment. It really is that simple. Put another way, choosing what you believe in and what actions you decide to take in living out your beliefs results in either living with a sense of hope or with a sense that things are “out of your control.” If we give up the right to hold individual beliefs or to freely act in accordance with our beliefs, feelings of anxiety, tension, anger, and disappointment can take the place of the hope we are seeking.
I promised that I would share some “good news” with you in the second installment of this three-part series on hope. To that end I want to offer eight “beliefs” that influence many of us. Then I will suggest “good news” actions that can result in hopeful outcomes. For the discerning among the folks who are reading this post, you may recognize the eight beliefs to which I am refering. These beliefs substantially affect the quality of our lives and consequently our sense of worth.
These core beliefs are:
Healthcare – without good health, hope is hard to come by. The less we hurt, or the healthier we are, or the easier it is to access and pay for healthcare services, the better our quality of life. Good health and access to good healthcare create a hopeful feeling that we are able to fully enjoy all that life has to offer. So the good news is that we should actively support all actions that affect the health of our bodies, minds, and spirits. If we believe in good health, we will act in ways that accentuate the value of a healthy lifestyle. A happy and hope-filled life will be the outcome.
Poverty – it is difficult to have hope when the basic necessities of life are withheld, denied or made otherwise unavailable to all people. So our belief ought to be that no one will be denied the basic necessities of life. Actions that follow this belief include being personally involved in programs such as Habitat for Humanity, supporting Food Banks, seeing that employment opportunities are made available to all so that a living wage can be secured, and that we accept our responsibility to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and ease suffering wherever and whenever we encounter it. Identifying the needs of others and finding ways in which we can meet those needs leads to the hope that no one will remain in poverty.
Debt – I have already spoken about debt in the first installment. I am afraid we cannot do much about the increasing national debt, but we can affect our own share of debt. If we believe that debt can affect our happiness, our actions should be to abstain from the debt we can control. So here the “good news” is simple, avoid the debt that we can control and act in ways that do not increase our total personal debt load. We also need to save for our futures, anticipating that no one else will accept or be responsible for our accumulated debts. The hope that then arises is that if we can all live within our means we should not settle for the assertion that the US Government cannot also live within its means. Our hope is based on our responsible actions that result in being free from the burdens of our own debt load.
Violence – most folks believe in peace and prosperity and therefore find violence and violent behavior to be unacceptable. So how do we act in response to violence? This is a very difficult question to answer because there are some who do believe in violence as the only way they have of coping with an unjust and unequal society and world. Throughout history humankind has found the means to inflict violence on others. Limiting the means to inflict violence does nothing substantial to eradicate the underlying causes of violent behavior. Finding actions that eliminate the underlying assumptions that lead to violence is, for me, the hardest job that society has. Suffice it to say, to live in hope in regards to violence is to believe and act in ways that resolve the causes of violence. Reform is needed in so many areas. We all know what those issues and areas of concern are, but we have not found the collective and consistent will to demand actions that will eliminate the root causes of violence. Again, in my opinion, this is the greatest challenge humankind faces. I hope we can be courageous and consistent in our efforts.
Independence and self-reliance – this belief begins with an understanding that no one else is responsible for our actions. It is a belief that encourages us to take charge of our lives and the opportunities that are in front of us. We are told that we should all live in a way that leads to” life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” All of those actions begin and find completion only when we each take our responsibly for those tasks. Whenever we allow others to do the work for us or to supply us with those things we are able, but unwilling to do for ourselves, we are diminished. When we allow others to take control of our lives (food, housing, income, education, defense) we eventually lose hope because we give up our beliefs, we decide not to act, and we fall into despair. There are those who cannot act on their own behalf but that does not mean they have to give up trying. The “good news” is that each of us can act in some way to affect the quality of our life and the opportunities we chose. When we stop acting and allow others to act for us, we begin to lose hope.
Education – this is very near and dear to me as I spent 20 years as a teacher, coach, counselor, and administrator. It is my belief that in the US all should have the opportunity for as much schooling as they need or want. We look to taxpayers for the funds available for all K-12 public education. Our actions should ensure that our kids get the best our tax dollars can provide. Unfortunately, we know that equal access and equal opportunity in education do not exist in practice. No one can deny that. Subsidizing higher education (community colleges and public universities) is a worthwhile goal but those funds will also come from taxes. In this case, the belief that leads to our action, and the resulting outcome we seek, is that public education will be comparable to private education. Our hope is based on the belief that equal access to all the resources that society’s “students” need for their education will be available and will guide all our actions.
Religion – one of the greatest sources for hope has always been a belief in the providence of a Supreme Being. This belief was spelled out by our country’s Founding Fathers. This belief led to actions that caused us to delineate moral and ethical assumptions concerning how we should treat others in all aspects of daily living. Just reread the words inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty for some idea of how we as a country understood the conduct of our lives for the benefit of others who were in need. Most every major religious group has at its core, some belief in alleviating the suffering of others. That leads to a series of actions that result in outcomes full of hope. So the “good news” here is by reclaiming and living the belief that we are all united as” one nation, under God,” people created for good actions, we will act in ways that nurture and affirm all those with whom we share this world. This leads to a world that lives in the hope of right actions and right living. That certainly leads to hope.
Maintaining Unity – this is the belief that regardless of race, creed, social standing, gender, national origin, color, or ability, we are one people who when united will stand and prosper, but divided and manipulated will fall. The actions we take as one people will determine the outcomes that result in hope or despair. In times of tragedy or national emergency, we come together as one, responding with the best of intentions to heal the hurts and to bind up all the wounds. When our actions favor one group at the expense of others we are not acting in the belief that we are one nation. Hope is found when we live intentionally, never leaving some with a loss while others are gaining. As difficult as it may be, if we act for the benefit of all, hope will spring up, and like the morning fog that lifts to reveal the sun brightly shining, we can claim our potential to be one people seeking life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.
Finally, whenever we fall short of acting with the good of all as foremost in our actions, may we be reminded that we are here to serve, not to be served, to act as one people whose goal is accomplished in constantly helping the last, the least, and the lost. If this is your belief, your actions will follow and the outcome will bring you hope and peace.
You’ve given us a lot to think about, Jon.
That’s my goal. My hope (as it were) is that spontaneous discussion will break out as a result of my posts. A 500 word blog post just barely scratches the surface. Thank you for your comment and for stopping by.