It’s spring and I’m back!

I feel like Dolly Levi on top of the Harmonia Gardens’ grand stairway being serenaded by the waiters….”Hello, Gary, Well, Hello Gary, It’s so nice to see the gems where they belong.” I can tell you now that if I wore that Barbra gown, I’d be rolling down those stairs in a blur of gold fabric, feathers and legs.

We have winter people – the ski crowd (and there’s nothing wrong with that – I come from a very ski-active family) or the snowbird crowd (winter cheaters). We have the summer “fun” crowd, all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.  And some embrace the fall – which is spring in a minor key. I welcome spring like those waiters welcomed Dolly. Hope springs eternal, as do spring and flowers.

Summers fade into fall. Long fingers of frost pluck the remaining leaves from the trees. Then, nature wraps herself up in a plush white comforter and settles in for a long sleep until the first drops of melting snow wake her. Sounds pretty, doesn’t it?   Not at all like the typical city winter of freezing rain, slush and potholes.

We respond viscerally to longer, warmer days. It energises us. The cobwebs that have accumulated in the corners of our minds are swept away with the first breezes of spring. And I have the science behind me. Extended daylight boosts mood, well-being and energy. Dopamine – a neurotransmitter associated with attention, motivation, pleasure and mood – seems to increase with more exposure to sunlight.

Spring is hope, and hope manifests itself in many ways.

Optimism: A positive outlook on life and the future can help instil hope in oneself and others.

Resilience: In the face of adversity, perseverance can show others that there is always a chance for a better outcome.

Creativity: Creating new solutions, ideas, and possibilities can bring about a sense of hope, especially when old methods seem to be failing.

Support: Providing support and encouragement to others can help to lift them up and give them hope for the future.

Action: Taking action towards a better future can demonstrate that change is possible and that there is always hope for a better tomorrow.

Gratitude: Expressing gratitude for life’s positive aspects can help shift focus away from negativity and towards a more hopeful outlook.

Faith: Believing in something greater than oneself can provide hope in times of uncertainty and despair.

Ultimately, manifesting hope involves being open to the possibility of a better future and actively working towards it through positive thoughts, actions, and attitudes.

Hope can survive in the darkest places. It doesn’t need much to feed it, just some encouragement.  Like a dandelion pushing its way through a crack in the asphalt, a sliver of light holds a world of power to move from darkness to light.  It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all of the misery we see around us, it’s tempting to throw up our hands and ask, “why bother?” “What can I possibly do?”

“A kind word is like a spring day.”

We can do what we have the power to do – take action on our own. We have the power to change our behaviours so we reduce waste, gas emissions, and excess consumption. We can treat homeless people like individuals worthy of respect instead of diverting our eyes when passing by them. Homelessness and poverty are huge problems everywhere. If everyone acts on decreasing it locally, then we can help change it globally.

On behalf of my company, i24, I am a long-time supporter of community organisations like DANS LA RUE, in Montreal. They provide a wide array of support to homeless youth on the streets of Montreal. Life on the street can feel hopeless, but this organisation is an example of giving hope to many by reaching a hand to one at a time.

So today, as we welcome spring, let’s look to a brighter future and hang on to hope wherever we can find it. Then when we find it, share it.

YOUR SPRING GEMS

[bctt tweet=”What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” ― Albert Pike” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson” username=”httpstwittercomi24call”]

[bctt tweet=”“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” —Princess Diana. ” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“I think kindness is probably my number one attribute in a human being. I’ll put it before any of the things like courage or bravery or generosity or anything else.” —Roald Dahl. ” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”History has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” – Michelle Obama” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“Love recognises no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” – Thich Nhat Hanh” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronisingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” – Nelson Mandela” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=””In fact, hope is best gained after defeat and failure, because then inner strength and toughness is produced.” – Fritz Knapp” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=””A positive statement propels hope toward a better future, it builds up your faith and that of others, and it promotes change.” – Jan Dargatz” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“We must vote for hope, vote for life, vote for a brighter future for all of our loved ones.” – Ed Markey” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.” – Bernard Williams” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.” – Richard M. DeVos” via=”no”]