The Hope We Become

Close your eyes and reflect on a few people who inspire your sense of hope.?

What do they have in common??

My answer is universal: Their purpose is cultivating connection.?

Whereas I often find myself looking for hope, they teach me that we are hope. We become it through intention.?

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” —Mother Teresa?

My curiosity around what shapes their optimism led to a mini-series I’m thankful to share today. Inspiring Hope is a collection of five conversations with admired chefs, activists, and leaders about how they design lives of meaning and impact.?

Together they influence millions of people. Yet, what I admire most about them is an aspiration we may all embody: Being a force for good in the lives we touch.??

These two practices are helpful entry points…?

Lead with love?

To be guided by love is to make choices that are aligned with our true nature. Still, it takes courage to follow love as a compass. Manish Chandra, CEO and Founder of Poshmark , shares how we can steer it towards our collective wellbeing...?

“When you’re looking at situations, you can come from three emotions. Fear is the most common. But, many times fear can turn into greed. Fear is: I have very little and whatever I have is taken away. Greed is: I have too little. So, I need to take everything on the plate. Love is saying: It's a win-win situation for everyone.?

When you're not feeling right, you have to step back and ask: Is this decision coming from a place of fear, greed, or love?...Because you can think you’re coming from a place of love, but you’re really coming from a place of intense fear.”?

Grant the beingness of others?

Relationships are the field of practice to embody our values. We know encouraging someone’s wholeness acknowledges their being. Relationships are dynamic, though, and often call us to be our best selves. Granting the beingness of others — a habit from Rebecca Minkoff, Founder of her namesake brand, Rebecca Minkoff , and Co-founder of The Female Founder Collective — helps us appreciate each other.?

“I try to lead with the mindset of: What is great about this person? What is their positive trait? That’s what I need to focus on,” she says.?

“When you find the best in others, you validate the best in others and will get more of it.”?

The question — How do we contribute to each other’s vitality? — became a guiding principle in my work after interviewing Dr. Bruce Duncan Perry , renowned child psychiatrist and neuroscientist. Each episode in this series will explore a question that helps us do so. Through answering them, our guests awaken us to the hope that thrives within and between us. (Subscribe to my newsletter to receive each installment.)?

• How do we be agents of joy? — Tarika Barrett, Ph.D. , CEO of Girls Who Code
• How do we illuminate the soul of people & places? — Pati Jinich , Chef, Cookbook Author, and TV Host?
• How does love fuel our activism? — Justine Lucas , Executive Director of The Clara Lionel Foundation
• How do we amplify the good? — Rebecca Minkoff
• How do we gain agency over our perspective? — Manish Chandra ?

As always, I’m grateful to be on our journeys together and invite you to join me in committing to these intentions and practices over the next six weeks. Friendship is my greatest bridge of growth. So, if participating with a friend may offer greater meaning, consider sharing this post with them and trying them together.?

Today, we’re kicking off with a perspective from each guest on how we can grow closer to ourselves and each other. I hope they deepen your relationships as they have mine.?

Listen (11 min)

I’d love to hear who and what inspires your sense of hope. Share your stories in the comments!?