Hope In Action
I recently began Krista Tippett’s Hope Portal, a free seven-part audio course rooted in one profound insight: every wise person Krista has interviewed over the years for her On Being podcast carries some form of hope. Not blind optimism. Not idealism. But muscular hope — a calling, an orientation toward life, a practiced capacity to look unflinchingly at reality and still choose to engage with courage, creativity, and care.
This vision of hope resonates deeply with my own purpose work. Neuroscience teaches us that what we practice grows stronger in the brain — and that includes hope. In a world that feels increasingly uncertain and fractured, choosing and strengthening this kind of grounded, resilient hope is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. A force for laser-focused, values-aligned action. An exquisite muscle we can train.
I’m moving through the course slowly — just one episode in so far — but already it’s stirring something I want to cultivate more intentionally. If this calls to you too, let me know. I’d love to have company in this practice. If there’s interest, I’d be glad to gather a small, informal group for encouragement and reflection as we build our muscular hope together.
Ready to explore? You can find the Hope Portal episodes for free at onbeing.org/series/podcast. And if you’d like to be part of a virtual circle of fellow travelers, feel free to email me at martha@damselwings.com. I’d love to have some hope muscle workout buddies.
More on the photo: Manifestation of hope-driven perseverance. Two of our twelve Afghan ‘grandkids’, who didn’t speak a word of English when they arrived in the United States as Taliban-targeted refugees three years ago, graduated from high school this week. They are in this happy crowd, the eldest brother throwing his cap into the air, his small but mighty sister hidden from view under his outstretched arm.
