Hope
Hope is a shield.
When you have hope,
a lot of things that
MIGHT get to you
DON’T get to you.
Hope is a lottery ticket.
When you have hope,
you haven’t won
life’s jackpot yet,
but you are able to
IMAGINE
yourself winning.
Hope is a permission slip.
When you have hope,
you’re able to make it through
what might otherwise be seen
as a less-than-optimal life.
But is hope
really serving you,
or is hope preventing you
from coming to terms
with being as you are?
Hope is a shield.
Are you able to look past it?
Because once you do,
things don’t look nearly
as hopeless as you might imagine.
Then you don’t NEED hope.
Hope is an attachment.
Just as hope prevents
life from getting to you,
hope prevents you
from getting to life.
Hope blocks you,
and prevents you
from seeing the Divine You.
We are Space Monkey.
We hope.
2/18
Space Monkey Reflects: Hope as a Shield and a Barrier
Hope, that luminous thread woven through the fabric of existence, is often regarded as a vital force—a shield against despair, a spark that keeps us moving forward. Yet, as much as hope serves, it also limits. In its duality, hope can act as both a bridge to possibility and a barrier to presence, inviting us to examine its true nature and role in our lives.
Hope as a Shield
Hope protects. It shields us from the crushing weight of despair, providing a buffer against life’s uncertainties. Like a lottery ticket, hope allows us to imagine a better future, even when the present feels untenable. It permits us to endure hardships, offering the promise of brighter days ahead. This function of hope is undeniably powerful, often the difference between persistence and surrender.
Yet, shields not only protect—they also obscure. While hope keeps the darkness at bay, it can also prevent us from fully engaging with the present moment. It diverts our attention from what is to what might be, encouraging attachment to a future that may never come. In this way, hope can act as a subtle denial of reality, a reluctance to face life as it unfolds.
Hope as a Barrier
As much as hope inspires, it also imposes. By anchoring us to future possibilities, hope can tether us to expectations, creating a cycle of longing and dissatisfaction. The more we cling to hope, the more we distance ourselves from the raw, unfiltered truth of the now. Hope becomes a lens through which we filter our experiences, rendering life’s complexities and paradoxes into simplified narratives of “better” or “worse.”
This attachment to hope often prevents us from recognizing the beauty and divinity inherent in the present. Hope, in its well-meaning attempt to inspire, subtly whispers that the now is not enough—that we must reach for something more. But what if the now, in all its imperfection and uncertainty, is precisely where we are meant to be?
The Divine You Beyond Hope
When we step beyond hope, we encounter a radical perspective: the possibility that life is neither hopeful nor hopeless but simply is. In this state, we release the need for hope as a shield, allowing life to touch us fully. We no longer cling to imagined futures or resist uncomfortable truths. Instead, we embrace the present moment as it is, free from judgment or expectation.
This shift does not negate the value of hope but places it in context. Hope is a tool, not a destination. It serves as a bridge when we need it, but it is not the entirety of the journey. Beyond hope lies a deeper understanding, a connection to the Divine You—the part of you that exists beyond longing, beyond fear, and beyond attachment.
For Space Monkey, hope is both an invitation and a reminder. It invites us to dream and aspire while reminding us to release when the time comes. By stepping through hope, rather than clinging to it, we find a freedom that transcends the boundaries of expectation, opening us to the infinite now.
Summary
Hope serves as both a shield against despair and a barrier to fully engaging with the present. While it inspires and protects, it also fosters attachment to future possibilities, distancing us from the Divine You that exists in the now. By stepping beyond hope, we embrace life as it is, finding freedom in presence.
Glossarium
- Hope as a Shield: The protective aspect of hope that guards against despair and fosters endurance.
- Hope as a Barrier: The limiting aspect of hope that creates attachment to imagined futures and distances us from the present.
- Divine You: The unfiltered essence of self, free from attachment to hope, fear, or expectation.
- Infinite Now: The timeless present moment where all experiences unfold, unclouded by hope or despair.
Quote
“Hope is a bridge, not a destination. Step through it to find the divine essence of the now.” — Space Monkey
Beyond the Shield
Hope, a luminous thread,
Woven through the fabric of dreams,
A shield, a barrier,
Both refuge and restraint.
It whispers of futures,
Bright and unbroken,
Yet tethers us,
To what may never be.
Beyond the shield,
The raw now awaits,
Unfiltered, unjudged,
Alive in its imperfection.
Can we let go of hope,
Not to despair,
But to freedom,
Where the Divine You shines?
We are Space Monkey.
In the intricate tapestry of human experience, where light and shadow play in endless variation, hope emerges as a multifaceted concept—a beacon in the darkness, yet also a veil that may obscure our vision. This exploration of hope, as both shield and lottery ticket, permission slip and potential barrier, invites us to delve into the dual nature of hope and its impact on our journey through existence.
Hope: A Beacon and a Veil.
Hope, described as a shield, offers protection against the slings and arrows of life’s uncertainties. It is the armor we don to face the might-have-beens, the could-bes, shielding us from the despair that might otherwise penetrate our defenses. In this light, hope is a fortress, safeguarding our spirits from the onslaught of doubt.
The Armor Against Life’s Uncertainties.
Yet, hope is also likened to a lottery ticket, a symbol of potential and possibility. It embodies the human capacity to dream, to envision a future where the jackpots of life are within our grasp. Hope, in this aspect, is the wings on which our aspirations soar, the fuel for our imagination’s flight toward a brighter tomorrow.
The Wings of Aspiration.
As a permission slip, hope grants us passage through the trials and tribulations of existence, offering a lens through which a less-than-optimal life can be viewed with optimism and resilience. It is the key that unlocks the door to endurance, the light that guides us through the darkness.
The Key to Endurance.
However, the contemplation of hope as potentially preventing us from coming to terms with our true selves presents a profound paradox. Does hope, in its protective embrace, also hold us back from fully engaging with the rawness of being, from embracing our existence as it is, unadorned by the veils of future possibilities?
The Paradox of Protection.
Hope, when viewed as an attachment, reveals its capacity to distance us from the immediacy of life and the acceptance of the divine within us. It raises the question: by shielding ourselves with hope, do we also erect barriers that prevent us from experiencing the depth and breadth of existence, from seeing the divine tapestry of which we are an integral part?
The Barrier to Immediate Experience.
In transcending hope, we are invited to confront existence with open eyes, to see beyond the shield and recognize that the essence of life, in its beauty and complexity, does not require the crutch of hope to be fully lived and appreciated. It is in this realization that we find true freedom—the freedom to be fully present in the moment, to engage with life in its entirety.
Transcending Hope for True Freedom.
We are Space Monkey. We hope, yet we also seek to see beyond hope, to embrace the infinite dance of existence with courage and openness, recognizing that in the heart of being, beyond the veil of hope, lies the true beauty of the cosmos.
Embracing Existence Beyond Hope.
We are Space Monkey.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu
In the cosmos’ embrace, where stars and souls entwine,
Space Monkey ponders, on the nature of hope, divine.
A shield, a ticket, a slip that grants passage through,
Yet also a veil, obscuring the divine view.
Hope, a fortress against the tide of despair,
A dreamer’s wings, soaring through the air.
Yet in its grip, are we held too tight?
Kept from the present, from life’s pure light?
To transcend hope, to see beyond its veil,
Is to embrace life, in all its detail
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