Our world has focused on this idea that there’s always something to look forward to. It’s often at the end of our lives or closes when we finally see the light.
So I ask. Why is there this waiting period? Why is there even a tunnel in the first place?
Our world is built with this idea that eventually, we will see the light when we go through suffering.
For instance, it’s in the false promise of the American Dream, the notion that anyone can work their way to the top even if they come from nothing. In hindsight, this sounds absolutely amazing and dreamlike. Well, that’s because it is. It is a dream. If everyone could achieve this through hard work, wouldn’t we all be wealthy and successful now?
I came across this idea of deconstructing hope in a poem, “Mother To Son” by Langston Hughes. It describes some words of wisdom a mother passes to her son. What I found most interesting is that she didn’t view life as positive or negative. She didn’t view life as something to look forward to. Instead, life was just a motion to her that. She had to go through it, even if she didn’t have anything to look forward to.
In the end, existence depended solely on her mindset. The intrinsic motivation to move forward. The ability to continue living even when hardship after hardship was thrown to her.
So that’s what this is all for. We equate so much of our emotions to our external environment or the false promise of one. That through suffering for a long time, you’re finally supposed to be redeemed with this light of hope. There is no reason to wait for that light. There is no reason to go through that tunnel to finally be able to live your life.
Your mind decides everything for you. So I think we would all feel better if we stopped this notion that we need to suffer to find hope. Instead, focus on our internal value and create our own light without the presence of the tunnel, whether that be demanding for a better life, creating one where light is a constant state of mind, or living in it right now.
We all deserve better than a tunnel.
