Keeping Hope

A week before final exams, I am sitting down in my Physics class, looking forward to being done with the quarter, and having a break from school. I have no more assignments left and only finals to study for from this point out, and I am feeling real thankful for that. I check in with my classmate sitting next to me, just asking how they are doing, before class begins. They tell me they think they are going to kill themselves tonight. I am taken a back by the bluntness of the statement, and they quickly back track and say “I know, I can’t do that,” but then let me know that they really are going to call the prevention hot line. Class begins shortly after, and we sit there learning about relativity which is a fascinating concept that can be really tricky to wrap your head around. I can’t really focus after that encounter and I can’t stop thinking about how difficult it must be to sit in class trying to learn about something as complicated as relativity when you are struggling within yourself about whether or not you even want to be a part of this world any longer.

The reason I bring this story up is to bring to attention how often it is I hear people make jokes or talk about how they wish they were not on this Earth. I had a discussion with another friend about the amount of people who are not happy with their lives and we go on to question what keeps people going and we agreed that it pretty much boils down to hope. Hope for better times and for better days. It can be easy to lose hope as we get wrapped up in the everyday stresses of day-to-day life, and as we question our actions in life. Am I fulfilled? Am I good enough? Is there any purpose in all of this?

These questions are not questions that you answer once and forget about as if you’re wondering about the weather forecast, but they are instead questions some may ask every day. Not having answers to these questions can weigh on you in grueling ways. Combine this with all of the other challenges people take on from day to day, and life gets heavy. Some days are harder than others, and I think it brings to attention that we could all use a little more compassion from those around us.

So, what can we do? One thing I think we all need to acknowledge is that we all are here together. We all go through different experiences and all hurt in our own ways, and I don’t think it does us any good to bottle it all up and stick to ourselves, struggling alone. Walking through my college campus, passing person after person. The vast majority of people do not acknowledge those around them, and many people tend to have earbuds or headphones, retiring to their own little private world. It can be uncomfortable greeting the people we walk by, and I notice especially when I am not feeling good, it can be exhausting to go out of my way to acknowledge those who I pass throughout the day. It can feel like a chore, especially if it is not received well. I think however it is very important to embrace some of this discomfort and difficulty, and do our best as people to acknowledge one another, and make more of an effort to make those around us feel more included. It is something I think would go a very long way, if more people got in the habit of even smiling to the people around them as they go through their days, not having to go as far as to say hello or ask about their day, but just acknowledge them.

With so much technology at our fingertips, it can be very easy to retreat to our own little worlds and block out our surroundings. It can be uncomfortable to sit around and engage with the people around us in everyday scenarios. It can be awkward and it can be embarrassing, but I am realizing more and more how important it is to try and be that positive interaction in someone else’s day.

I challenge you to embrace that discomfort and recognize that no one always feels confident, and I challenge you to worry more about what your intentions are and less about how you are perceived. If we can create a culture that works harder to uplift the people around us, I am very hopeful that we can move toward a brighter future with less worry and self-doubt. If we could spend less time worrying about other people’s judgements, and have more confidence in ourselves that we are good enough the way we are, I think we could in turn give others the ability to be themselves and thrive in ways they may fear they are not able. If we could give people more understanding when they act in ways that hurt us or irritate us, seeing that they are imperfect like us, I think we would be less likely to alienate people. We can work toward a culture of supporting the people around us, and we can move away from competing against them. I hope that we can motivate each other as humans to follow our interests and worry less about our differences, appreciating the fact that people have different passions and lifestyles, and that people’s unique traits are what make our experience here on Earth so special. Thank you to anyone reading. :)