Sometimes it feels as if things will never change. This often happens when we are in a situation, such as now during the pandemic, in which our limits of endurance are being tested.

But when things are going well, when we are immersed in a pleasurable or rewarding activity, with people we love to be with, in a place that is comforting, secure and beautiful, we like things to stay the way they are.

For many of us these days, the future stretches out covered in fog. Not that the future is ever clear, but isolation and afflictive emotions such as anxiety and depression, or simply a sense of ennui, make it more difficult to contemplate the possibility of positive things unfolding.

We have to train our minds, to find ways to live with hope, even if we don’t understand how to be hopeful right now.  Like meditation, yoga, writing, making art or anything we want to become good at doing, cultivating hope is a practice.

Even if I can’t change my outer circumstances to a large degree, I can always work with my inner condition. In fact, I must if I want to feel better, evolve, help others. It’s vital to decide each morning how to approach the day.

I know from studying Buddhism and other spiritual traditions, and from science, and from simple observation, that all things are in a state of flux. From the viewpoint of both our outer and inner worlds, nothing stays the same.

It may feel like this situation with the pandemic will stretch on endlessly, but it won’t. We hope it will get better—and I believe it will. However, we have no choice but to be patient. We must all do our part, follow all the medical and ethical guidelines. Then we have to live with faith, endurance, and hope, focusing on our well-being and on our sense of purpose.

We can bring benefit to our inner condition using various methods such as: therapy, coaching, prayer, breath work, writing, meditation, exercise, being in nature, being around animals, using Emotional Freedom Technique, practicing yoga and other mind body disciplines. Our goal is to feel calmer, more focused, and less reactive. We can set an intention to soothe our troubled emotions, cultivate courage, and support others as we face life’s challenges.

“Choose to be optimistic. It feels better.” –His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama