We are all shaped by our past—by personal challenges, collective struggles, and the world around us. But what do we do in times of real despair, whether on a personal level or on a global scale? How do some people manage to stand up and fight for what they believe in, even when the odds are stacked against them? Is it the spark of hope that makes them different? Or is it the injustice they can no longer tolerate?
History is full of individuals who stood tall in the face of adversity, often paying a heavy price for their beliefs. People like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. or Vaclav Havel—who became the president of the Czech Republic after he spent multiple periods as a political prisoner. In the world of music, Marvin Gaye risked being dropped by Motown Records for insisting on releasing "What's Going On," a song about the Vietnam war and social justice that was initially deemed too controversial by the label, yet later became his most iconic hit. They found causes they were willing to sacrifice everything for. But there are countless others, unknown to the world, who have stood up for something even when it could cost them their lives. What drives them? Is it hope? Or something deeper?
I think it’s easy to lose hope. Many people do. The weight of the world can feel too heavy to bear. But then, there are those who don’t give up. Why? Perhaps it’s not just about hope in the traditional sense, but about a belief that what they are doing matters, regardless of how things turn out.
I once received a quote about hope from someone. It was written by Vaclav Havel in his book 'Disturbing the Peace'. It struck me deeply, and it still resonates today. He wrote:
“Hope is not the same as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”
This is the kind of hope that sustains people even in the darkest of times. It’s not about wishing for things to get better. It’s about knowing that what you’re doing has value, even if the future remains uncertain. It’s an ability to work toward something simply because it’s good and just—not because it guarantees success.
Take the story of Ties (see my original Instagram post about him below), someone who may not be known globally but lived bravely and stood for something important during WWII. Ties was active in the Resistance as an aid worker during WOll for people in hiding such as Jews, shot Allied pilots and young people who escaped the Arbeitseinsatz. He was shot 80 years ago on Sept 16, 1944, one day before Liberation Day, in the part of the Netherlands where he lived - which is exactly 80 years ago on the day that I'm writing this blog. For him Liberation came one day too late... His story, like many others who stood up for freedom, highlights a truth: hope is not just about what we expect the world to become, but about what we believe in so deeply that we keep going, no matter the cost.
It’s important to recognize, though, that this isn’t about fighting against something. History has shown us, whether it’s the “war on drugs” or the “war on terrorism,” that fighting in opposition only makes those things grow stronger. Where our attention goes, energy flows. True change doesn’t come from fighting what we hate, but from nurturing what we love and believe in. It’s about channeling our energy toward building, not destroying.
But this isn’t just about grand causes or global movements. It’s deeply personal. In my own life and work, I’ve often seen how people, including myself, have lost hope—sometimes more than once. We all go through moments where we ask ourselves, “What is life worth living for?” It’s a scary question because when hope fades, we’re left wondering what’s next. What’s left to hold on to?
Many of my clients come to me after having tried countless ways to heal or move forward. Often, they feel hopeless, as though they’ve reached the end of what they can bear. And I recognize this in myself as well. There have been times in my life when I’ve questioned whether there’s still hope, or whether I’ve lost it altogether. I think the question might not be, "Is there still hope?" but rather, "What is it that keeps us going, even when hope feels distant?"
This is something I struggle with, especially after losing my sister, who chose euthanasia because she lost hope after a lifelong struggle with mental health dissorders. It makes me ask—what is it that makes me keep going when others feel they can’t? What is that thread of meaning or purpose that pulls us through the darkest moments?
The truth is, life isn’t just about practical solutions or quick fixes. It’s about something deeper—about finding that core belief or purpose that sustains us. For my clients and myself, the journey isn’t always about finding immediate answers, but about understanding what keeps us going when hope seems hard to grasp. Maybe the question isn’t whether there’s still hope, but whether we can still find something meaningful enough to keep moving forward, regardless of the outcome. And sometimes 'we just keep going', not knowing exactly what for.
When everything feels hopeless, when the world seems divided and dark, perhaps the deepest form of hope is the belief that there is meaning in what we do. Even when we don’t know if we’ll succeed, even when the outcome is unclear, this kind of hope brings life.
"Hoop doet leven" is the saying in Dutch; "Hope brings life". Even when things feel hopeless—whether on a world scale or in our personal lives—there is hope. Not because the world will suddenly change overnight, but because there is value in standing up for what is right.
It is this kind of hope that drives people to stand up for justice, for equality, for peace. It’s not a passive belief that things will turn out well, but an active choice to keep going, to keep believing in something bigger than ourselves. And maybe that’s enough to change the world—or at least our part in it. Or maybe to just change our own 'little' world.. which is, in the end, where it all starts. The biggest impact we will ever have on the world around us is not in what we do but in what we are.
So, do we have hope for a different world? Maybe the question isn’t whether we have hope, but whether if we’re willing to act and 'just be' even when hope seems distant for a while....
We are all just walking each other home... - Ram Dass