RCCS Tidbit of the Month: Hope

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The following post is from our Recovery-Centered Clinical System (RCCS) Tidbit of the Month series. Each month, the RCCS Steering Committee creates practices to support our recovery culture within our programs and among staff. Click here to learn more about the RCCS.

RCCS Tidbit of the Month: Hope

A Component of the Five Awarenesses of the RCCS Program Culture

鈥Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.鈥
— Desmond Tutu

We have all heard about Pandora鈥檚 Box, the mythological story of Pandora, the first woman on Earth, who receives a box from the Gods. When Pandora opens the box, she releases a swarm of evils into the world, including envy, greed, pain, sorrow, disease, and countless others. Pandora quickly closes the box, but one thing is trapped inside鈥攈ope!

There are two interpretations of why hope was inside the same box as things that cause pain and misery.

One interpretation sees hope as a divine gift of the gods left behind to help us bear the trials that came from Pandora鈥檚 curiosity. Hope helps us to confront life鈥檚 challenges, to endure, and dream of better days. This view aligns with our usual understanding of hope: a source of resilience that can see us through the darkest nights.

The second interpretation paints hope as the ultimate evil. Was hope left in the box not as a blessing but as a final curse? Some philosophers saw hope as a 鈥渇olly of the heart鈥 that blurs what is likely vs. what is desired.

In this month鈥檚 RCCS Tidbit, we offer ideas and approaches to reflect on today鈥檚 pleasures and joys. By focusing on today鈥檚 success, we can build hope for our future, even when hope is hard and even when the outcome is uncertain.

Practice:

Identifying the simple pleasures and joys we have today helps us envision a better future. Here are some hope building ideas that staff and clients can do.

  1. Using the attached RCCS Conversation Guide, Building a Road to Hope, staff can partner with clients and members to focus on small but energizing dreams for today. When we think about the things that are in our life now, we begin building our ability to dream about the future.

  2. At a staff and/or community meeting, individuals share one thing on their personal 鈥淏ucket List鈥 (a person you want to meet, a place you want to visit, or a thing you want to do before you die). Share what is exciting and motivating about your Bucket List item.

  3. Share a picture of one of your simple daily pleasures. What about that activity or person is meaningful to you?