{"id":1289,"date":"2017-02-17T17:53:27","date_gmt":"2017-02-17T17:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/?p=1289"},"modified":"2017-02-17T17:53:27","modified_gmt":"2017-02-17T17:53:27","slug":"finding-hope-in-dark-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/2017\/02\/17\/finding-hope-in-dark-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Hope in Dark Times"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Winter<\/a>

Winter Blossoms<\/p><\/div>\n

The flowering quince blossoms by my front gate bring their bright beauty to the darkness of winter. Why do these small blossoms affect me so deeply, more than the profusion of wildflowers, honeysuckle, and roses on long summer days? \u00a0When most of the trees and shrubs are bare, these tiny rose-colored blossoms are a rare exception, a harbinger of hope.<\/p>\n

Rushing from one task to another, moving mindlessly through our days, we can become habituated to the good and beautiful in our lives (Siegel, 2007). We focus instead on what\u2019s wrong with our world, our jobs, our health and relationships, caught up in what Shakespeare called \u201cthe thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to\u201d (Hamlet<\/em>, 3.1.64-65).<\/p>\n

But a moment of unexpected beauty can wake us up. Winter blossoms, a shaft of sunlight through the clouds, or a rainbow arching overhead can fill us with a sense of awe (Keltner & Haidt, 2003) and gratitude (Emmons, 2016). These positive emotions can heal us, activate our immune systems, broaden and build our personal resources, and enable us to see new possibilities (Fredrickson, 2001). As Emerson, Thoreau, and centuries of poets have realized, a moment of beauty can transform our whole world view.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re experiencing \u201cthe winter of our discontent\u201d (Richard III<\/em>, 1.1.1) during these dark days, try connecting with the beauty of nature. Step outside, slow down for a mindful moment:<\/p>\n