Lesson in Hope and Impermanence

Impermanence and Hope,
Two very fragile, yet important lessons I took from tonight's reading.

Let's start with Hope.
Hope is not what we often think it is.
Hope is not optimism, Hope is in fact a facade.

Hope is when we try to fit experiences into our agendas,
Hope is a fantasy.
Hope is an idealized version of the future, and it can be toxic.
Hope is not accepting the here, nor the now.
Hope is building a story in the future, that we ultimately have no control over.
If we had control over it, it would be called optimism.

"We must let go of hope, in order to achieve our hopes."
Does that sound backwards?
Sure.
Is it true?
Absolutely.

Hope can hold us back.
It can hold us back from enjoying the experience of the now,
It can hold us back from creating optimistic experiences,
It can hold us back from learning a much needed lesson.
This is me letting go of all Hope.

Impermanence is beautiful.
Once we realize that all things in life are impermanent,
We can realize joy,
Hold onto the moment of Now,
And not fret of the future.

Acknowledging Impermanence is essential to letting go of attachment,
And attachment creates pain,
It creates suffering,
It creates an unattainable fantasy.
I accept Impermanence -
Here and Now.