Here's the thing: It's the Hope that will kill you

Hope without actions, is just delusion.

I saw an interview with Jane Fonda and Kerry Washington, (on Insta or TikTok, I really don’t know which) where Jane Fonda reminisces on something Greta Thunberg said to her. It was something to the effect of “take action, and hope will follow.”

And I love that. I love history, and I study history and sometimes knowing the trends in history can give you hope and sometimes, it can paralyze you. The antidote to anxiety is action. Whether that’s just a walk down the street or volunteering is up to you.

I know that hope can feel like a double edged sword because like the title implies, I do believe that hope can kill you. Because any religious leader, spiritual baddie, or Manifestation Maddie on TikTok will tell you - faith without action is nothing at all. You cannot get anywhere without taking the first step. Hope without action is delusion. Don’t have any hope? Get into your community. Find a place to use your skills to help others. The hope will come. It always does.

As someone who has experienced first hand the depths of depression, I can say with confidence, if I could get myself out the door of my home and find my way somewhere where I could lend a hand, life looked up immediately. It is in fact the way I returned to the world after my latest and longest bout with depression.

Sometimes people use my content on TikTok to share that they are hopeless. And to that I say, a hopeless life is what our adversaries want. Without hope for a better future, people become complacent and compliant. But I know, and I know you know, better is out there. For all of us. We just have to demand it.