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Harvey Mackay
Column for the week of February 22, 2010
Never
Lose Hope |
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In Greek mythology, Pandora opened
her fabled box and let out all evils except for hope, which Greeks
considered to be as dangerous as the world's other evils. Soon
they discovered that without hope to offset their troubles, humanity
was filled with despair. So Pandora let out hope as well. In
the myth, hope was more potent than any of the other major evils.
In modern times, we consider
hope to be anything but evil. It's what gets many of us through
our worst days. Lingering unemployment, foreclosure, dwindling
retirement funds, businesses folding — any of these could
make a person lose hope.
Fortunately, Pandora recognized
the relevance of hope — an element that is critical to our
very existence. In the current business climate, hope is what
keeps us from throwing in the towel. I'm a realist, but I'm also
an optimist. And while hope and optimism are not exactly the
same, they are intrinsically linked. |
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For example, I am optimistic
that the economy will eventually improve, and I am hopeful that
we can learn lasting lessons from events that led to our business
challenges. But I can't just wait and hope. I have to help things
happen.
Hope looks at what is possible
and builds on that. As former television executive and author
SQuire Rushnell (yes, that's the way he spells his name) puts
it, "take the 'imp' out of impossible!" Instead, he
says, read it as "I'm possible."
In one of my favorite inspirational
books, "Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do,"
my friend Robert Schuller offers up this observation: "Understand
the power of this word: impossibility. When uttered aloud, this
word is devastating in its effect. Thinking stops. Progress is
halted. Doors slam shut. Research comes to a screeching halt.
Further experimentation is torpedoed. Projects are abandoned.
Dreams are discarded. The brightest and the best of creative
brain cells turn off. In this defensive maneuver, the brain shelters
itself against the painful sting of insulting disappointments,
brutal rejections, and dashed hopes.
"But let someone utter the
magic words, it's possible. Buried dreams are resurrected. Sparks
of fresh enthusiasm flicker. Tabled motions are brought back
to the floor. Dusty files are reopened. Lights go on again in
the darkened laboratories. Telephones start ringing. Typewriters
make clattering music. Budgets are revised and adopted. 'Help
wanted' signs are hung out. Factories are retooled and reopened.
New products appear. New markets open. The recession has ended.
A great new era of adventure, experimentation, expansion and
prosperity is born."
This advice, penned more than
25 years ago, is just as pertinent today. In fact, when you consider
the advances of the past quarter century, look at how we have
changed the face of businesses: did anyone have a website in
1985? What was your cell phone number? Were you video-conferencing
with your South American office with the touch of a button?
What will the next 25 years hold?
I suspect that the coming generations will use their technologies
in ways we are just beginning to imagine are possible. I am certain
that products will be developed that will make life easier, safer
and better. I have every hope that we have the brainpower and
the will to do just that.
But we cannot accomplish much
at all if we don't have hope. Hope is believing that every cloud
has a silver lining, and when that cloud rains, it makes things
grow. And then the sun comes out again.
British anthropologist Jane Goodall
has spent more than 50 years conducting landmark research on
wild chimpanzees and great apes and observing the tremendous
power of nature to restore itself. She shares these thoughts:
"I carry a few symbols with me. . . to remind me of the
hope that there is in the world: the human brain, with the technology
that we are now working to try and live in greater harmony with
the environment; the resilience of nature — give nature
a chance and it's amazing how places that we've destroyed can
bloom again; the tremendous energy, commitment, excitement and
dedication of young people once they know what the problems are
and we empower them to act to do something about it. And finally,
the indomitable human spirit, those people who tackle impossible
tasks and won't give in... that are shining inspiration to those
around them."
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Mackay's Moral: |
Hope for the best and then find
a way to make it happen. |
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The Author  |
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Harvey Mackay is a nationally
syndicated columnist for United Feature Syndicate. His weekly
articles appear in 52 newspapers around the country, including
the Chicago Sun Times, Rocky Mountain News, Orange County Register,
Minneapolis Star Tribune and Arizona Republic.
http://www.mackay.com/
Copyright, Harvey Mackay. All rights reserved. |
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