Hope as a quality is ephemeral, and at the same time it can profoundly impact how we experience our lives. To have lost all hope means to be in the pit of despair. On the other hand, what does it mean to have hope? We can have all the hope in the world that everything will turn out okay, yet we know this is not how life works. Things go wrong all the time, and none of us are immune from accidents, illness or other calamities.

Find value in our efforts to make the world a better place, even as we understand there is no guarantee what we’re working towards will succeed. Entrepreneurial hope requires me to remain engaged and focus on those with me now, yet it can show little in the way of ‘outcomes’. instantly. The opposite of ‘wise hope’ may not be despair but apathy, a pervasive sense of ‘why bother?’ The problems are so numerous and overwhelming, what difference can one person really make?

Think of Martin Luther King or any other icon on hope. What if he had not received the kindness of his community, the neighbor who brought food when he was sick, or the shopkeeper who spoke to him with respect and care. These tiny moments of kindness and presence are hope's building blocks. When you give them, you spread hope in the now. 

I receive questions from participants who are curious about the sensations they experience during meditation, including everything from tingling feelings in the body and sleepiness to the desire to cry or laugh out loud. Although there are a variety of sensations that you can experience during meditation, in reality, only four things can happen during meditation:

You can be reassured that meditation is always healing and that your body takes exactly what it needs from your practice. When you notice that your attention has drifted from your practice of noticing to a thought in your mind or another part of your body is sore and pulls your attention to it, gently return your attention to the practice at hand. If you fall asleep, it’s because you were tired and needed to rest.

Mindfulness strategies may help prevent or interrupt cravings for food and drugs, such as cigarettes and alcohol, by occupying short term memory, according to a new review. ... According to ancient Buddhist texts, craving leads to suffering but can be avoided through mindfulness meditation practice.

Many modern cars have a navigation (“nav”) system built into them—devices meant to guide us in unfamiliar territory, and help us anticipate what lies ahead. Much like our always-thinking, and often-craving minds, nav systems are representations of reality—thoughts (including desirous ones) are meant to guide us toward something (or somewhere) we want, but they are NOT the real road itself.

When faced with a day’s activities and situations full of temptations (cake, drink, or something more of the libidinal variety), a torrent of thoughts run through the mind: Here we go again . . . I can’t believe I’m about to go down this road again! . . . Why do I always have to do this . . . It’s the weekend, I deserve to indulge . . . I’ll make it my New Year’s Resolution to stop . . . (Add your own examples, perhaps plus an expletive or two).

The pull of cravings (and the disruption this intense desire has on emotional, physical, relational, and perhaps financial well-being) suggests it may be important to get things on a less compulsive, more compassionate, and flexible track. The thoughts and mental images present themselves as real and in need of immediate gratification. “You need this now!” they scream. They often imply an absolute aspect of time with words like “never” and “always.” How effective are you when you get stuck thinking in these ways? Do thoughts infused with these characteristics help or hinder your ability to manage your daily life?

Every system in the body relies on oxygen. From cognition to digestion, effective breathing can not only provide you with a greater sense of mental clarity, it can also help you sleep better, digest food more efficiently, improve your body's immune response, and reduce stress levels.

Breathing more slowly, gently and deeply helps to calm and relax and can also reduce tension and anxiety and improve concentration and memory. Shallow and fast breathing can contribute to anxiety, muscular tension, panic attacks, headaches, and fatigue.

By practicing slow, deep breathing, your mind will calm down and your body will relax. Diaphragmatic, or, abdominal breathing is one of the easiest ways to produce the relaxation response.

Practice 3 or more minutes to learn the proper technique for deep relaxation, helping to reduce muscle tension and anxiety. Throughout the day, frequently take a few slow, deep breaths or do a couple minutes of diaphragmatic breathing, especially when feeling stressed.

Without air the brain starves of oxygen, normal bodily functions cease to exist and essentially we die. That makes breathing high on the priority list for human life. However, for most of us we don’t stress or worry about breathing, whether there will be enough air to breathe or even how we breathe, until we have a lung infection or an illness of the lungs which limits or compromises our ability to breathe.

Breathing is something the body does automatically. But did you know that the way we breathe changes depending on our state of mind and how we feel? Have you noticed how your breathing pattern changes with your emotions or in certain situations? When we are stressed or fearful we tend to take fast and shallow breaths, whereas when we are relaxed and at ease we breathe gently and more steadily.