“Hope and patience are two sovereign remedies for all, the surest reposals, the softest cushions to lean on in adversity.”
~Robert Burton.
This quote rings true. When I’ve had times at my shaky depths—times of acute sadness, depression or anxiety—it was generally one or both of these which I had clung to pull me out of the mire.
I’m very fortunate that most of my lowest ebbs, apart from times where I’d undergone really acute trauma, have only involved one really poor day here and another horrendous day there; these days sprinkled with days of where the fainted hope or semblance of patience usually eked their way in.
Hope helps us see forwardly; without it, we’re locked in the past without hope of seeing with correct vision—our long-sight gone astray. Short-sightedness alone is not much to write home about. Patience is warranted for any good endeavour in life, unto virtue at any level or manifestation. Patience may with hope be sovereign—both are golden necessities for joy.
But hope or patience alone (one without the other; if that were possible) misses the target. Together, however, they provide a catalyst for true emotional and spiritual success, even working their way cognitively, such that we’d think with correct sight.
These two are simple and profound virtues that we should never be without.
The only way to establish these for that coming day of adversity it to install them now and work on them zealously each and every day, by seeing hope in all things—being optimistic—and seeing things in true time.
This is all about sight—spiritual sight.
We also must learn to slow down our desires—at least to God-speed—and finally accept many things for what they are and for the pace at which they truly come. Not all things on this earth—not many in fact—even come close to our natural expectations.
Fitting our expectations to the common reality; now, that’s a goal worth striving for!
© 2010 S. J. Wickham.
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