Hungry for Hope

I thought with the recent release of Catching Fire it was only appropriate to pay tribute (I did not even catch this pun until I was proofreading! I am subconsciously punny.) to The Hunger Games. If you didn't jump on the bandwagon a few years ago, swallow your pride and do so. The books are entertaining for any age and the movie is worth seeing if only to fall more in love with Jennifer Lawrence. 

Hope is a central theme in the trilogy. The clip above pretty much lays it out there. The annual Hunger Games occur because of a revolt by one of the districts when they tried to overthrow the Capitol (government basically). This video might explain it better than I can:

As long as there is a Hunger Games, all hope is lost. The games keep people in fear for their lives and the lives of their children. This fear drives out any hope for a better life and keeps people stuck in their districts. As President Snow said in the first clip, "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine as long as it is contained." This is true for our lives as well.

Hope is essential in therapy. I have had this frame hanging in my office since I first started seeing clients. Many people seek therapy because they have lost hope. Therapy is a way to gain it back. I put this in my very first office because I believe in its necessity. It is also my desire as a therapist to help empower people to find their hope again. It is not an eye-catching painting but very few clients have ever gone without noticing it. Just seeing it so plainly may light the spark that one needs. It resonates with us because it is something we are all grasping for, especially if we find ourselves in a valley of some sort.

Whenever I think of hope, I can't help but think of one of the best books I have ever read Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. The book is about the true events of his survival of the Holocaust. Everyone can benefit from reading this book. As I was looking for an image of the book I ran across this one. This is different than the cover of the book I own; however, it is perfect for this post because of the quote on the front, "The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust."

(Just a side note: If you are trying to decide if you should watch The Hunger Games or read this book, I would say do both. In the long run though, your life is going to benefit greatly by reading this book as opposed to seeing Liem Hemsworth for only 10 minutes of a 2 hour movie. So, if you have to chose, I would choose V. Frankl.)

I will leave you with one of the best known quotes from this book which I think sums up not only our need for hope, but also its power in any circumstance we may be facing today or in the future.

“Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.” 
― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

Find your 'why'. Find a way to spark your hope to where you become dangerous enough to face any 'how'.