Being hopeful is not about optimism.

“We don’t always know the details of our future. We do not know what lies ahead. We live in a time of uncertainty. We are surrounded by challenges on all sides. Occasionally discouragement may sneak in to our day; frustration may invite itself into our thinking; doubt might enter about the value of our work, and/ or our relationships. In these dark moments we may hear a whisper in our ears that we will never be able to succeed, that the price isn’t worth the effort, and that our small part will never make a difference. That voice will try to prevent us from seeing the end from the beginning. — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“.. this too is for the good.” – Nachum Ish Gamzu. 

Many would have a hard time not personally relating to or knowing about that which Uchtdorf speaks, and not only societally, but personally as well. Juxtaposing it with R. Gamzu, I wondered, is he saying that whatever happens, whatever experiences, whatever is given or not given to us is for the good, even the uncertainty, the struggle, and in some cases, the heartache?

This musing is a confession of sorts. I believe there may be something to gain in being able to say that about my own experiences.  If I have a problem, a disappointment, or a pain and tell myself that “.. this too is for the good,” it means I am rising above my circumstances. It is faith, but is that enough?

Whatever circumstances I find myself in these days, I am resolute in the belief that if I am going to ask God to move a mountain for me — I shall not be surprised if He gives me a shovel. Here is where it gets a little risky for me. A few weeks back, I wrote about struggling and that idea has led me to even more struggles, but not heartache or dissolution. There sure was a lot of God-stuff in that article, and I confess, being on the cusp of the third-third of life, it is normal and challenging to question faith. Using my ancestral roots as a guide to consider my particular religious dogma and writing about it is a way for me. The questions are yielding more questions and quite frankly, it’s invigorating and, if I am completely honest, a little unsettling at times. I am working diligently on not labeling my experiences as “good’ or “bad,” rather —they are what they are. What am I choosing to do about it?

There is a popular proverb “prepare for the worst, hope for the best” and while it sounds so cliche, few would argue with the premise. The operative word is prepare, and there is more.

Here is the reality; it is not my place to impose — “.. this too is for the good,” — R. Gamzu’s belief on anyone. If I see another’s suffering and say to them “this too is for good,” besides being incredibly insensitive, it would be impetuous of me to believe I know what is to be derived from their circumstance, be it one relating to a physical, spiritual, moral or any other type of crisis.

For those of unquestioning faith, is it easy to believe that God has His reasons? Perhaps it is what theologians of different faiths and their followers are saying; still, I have no shortage of questions. I am in the question-business, not the answer-business. Somewhat against my original position of not labeling circumstances judgmentally as “good” or “bad,” — the great sage, Rabbi Akiva saw the conundrum of all things coming from God as a call to action — “this too could be for good, ”if we make ‘bad’ into ‘good.’ 

This has led me to consider, is there more to hope (faith) than optimism? I am saying optimism, and then labeling it as a ”good” thing, and that may be a part of a formula. I am not sure that optimism plays a role. What I am saying is to hope, which means we must act. Grab a shovel when the desire or the time comes. I see an indispensable function of hope as action, sustained action, even if the event is labeled “good or bad.” A “bad” situation might be beyond one’s control, in which case a person can only hope. Another way might be to believe in something greater than self. Before we can act, we must first hope. Have a little faith. And if we cannot act, then we must hope and believe we will eventually come to understand. Maybe.

Hope powers possibility. My father used to say “hindsight is 20/20.” We are fortunate if we are able to see the trajectory of events and experiences in advance. Am I the only over-thinker who attempts to understand every impact and meaning of events as they occur?  If I am deeply honest, I must confess that I know far less about the world than I may comfortably think at this point in my life. Do I hope? Is hope another word for faith?

Here is a simple exercise. Read the following lines below, read them a second time, and every time you see the word hope replace it with the word faith.  A third reading of the verse with the word optimism. For me, using optimism instead of hope or faith does not elicit the same congruence.

Hope asks of us —humility of mind, to not assume we know more than we do. When we let go of being over-sure, naturally hope arises. Hope can be a natural state – and when we hope, anything can happen. Hope powers experience. When we think we know the future, patterns of mind shift into autopilot. Hope fuels resilience. Hope inspires audacity to defy darkness and courage to face fear. With hope, illness can bring healing (but not always cure). Injustice can prompt action (but not always justice). Destruction can lay new foundations. Hope for healing, action and renewal are wellsprings of resilience. Hope isn’t a blind anti-intellectual comfort: it may be the spiritual power needed by the warrior. Hope doesn’t deconstruct “good” and “bad,” or relieve us of moral agency, but rather lifts our vision toward a view more expansive than mere eyes can see. — Rabbi Marcus

Rather than argue the point about having hope or complete faith, it is vitally important to examine choices. When I believe I have done my best, or my best seems not “good” enough, (yes, labeling is a hard habit to break) I am learning to to put my pen down and to reconsider what I believe to be true. It is not always about me. Perhaps a better use of my time is to cultivate radical hope, to recognize my worth is inherent and not based on moving the mountain —merely understanding that climbing, resting and hoping (faith) are all necessary. 

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Dieter F. Uchtdorf is a German aviator, airline executive and religious leader. Currently, Uchtdorf is the sixth most senior apostle in the ranks of the Mormon church.

Nachum Ish Gamzu‘s name is described in the Talmud as having grown colloquially from Nachum’s tendency to react to misfortune with unyielding optimism. Nachum was the teacher of Rabbi Akiva.

Akiva ben Joseph (40 – c. 137 CE), widely known as Rabbi Akiva, was a tanna of the latter part of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century (3rd tannaitic generation). Rabbi Akiva was a leading contributor to the Mishnah. He is referred to in the Talmud as Rosh la-Chachamim (Head of all the Sages)