Terry Sarten: Once you choose hope, anything is possible

Venn diagram of hope.

THE world's population can be divided into pessimists and optimists.

Ideas of race, colour, religion, politics are not as relevant as a perspective on hope.

The pessimists see hope through their "scepticals", while the optimists always hold the potential of hope in their peripheral vision. Both share a central focus on hope.

Picturing a Venn diagram with the optimists and pessimists circles overlapping at hope is a way to make the future seem a bit less daunting. Together with all the many and various sub-tribes - cynics, doubters, prophets, pragmatists, dreamers, visionaries, change-makers and the bitter and twisted - we will enter the new year of 2017 clutching our on-board emotional hand-luggage, including hope for a better future.

Mr Venn, who invented this method for mapping the interaction of factors in 1880, originally called them Eulerian Circles. The name morphed into what we now know as the classic Venn diagram in which all manner of variations can be mapped to illustrate how often disparate issues are actually linked in some way and often hold unexpected common ground.

A very relevant example is the ideology of fundamentals on the extreme right and left of politics and religion that overlap around violent actions driven by dogma, intolerance and hatred.

As counter to that example, if the Venn visual map is laid over human behaviour it becomes apparent that we all share common ground around aspirations for our children and hope for the future.

Even the doubters and curmudgeons meet at Hope Central Station to board life's train. Some may be travelling first class on the slow train of inequality, others have a window seat, while many ride in the crowded carriages or cling to the roof, but all carry hope in some form among their possessions.

The International Hope Index may experience sudden surges in demand but its core value remains strong because we all have shares in it. As shareholders, we know that at some point in our lives when we need it most it will be available but, in the meantime, we can add to its value to ensure it is there for all those who need it right now.

Hope cannot be hidden in secretive offshore hope accounts or hope-havens. It is not for sale. It cannot be traded on the open market. It is not a product or a corporate brand. It does not have a use-by date. It does not require a passport and easily crosses borders of bigotry, intolerance and hatred.

Hope comes in many diverse guises but is always immediately recognisable; it moves with care, compassion and grace. It can appear fragile at first glance but is stronger and more robust than it looks, and it is often seen with its trusted companion, Resilience, and together they initiate action to make Hope into something tangible that works for people.

Despite the sorrows, the tragedies, disasters, violence and wars evident all across the world, the value of Hope do not change. It remains a constant valid currency of exchange between people.

In 2017, Hope will be called upon in our community, our country and in distant lands. If we all carry a supply of it with us and share it as a gift to others, it can prevent a hope shortage in those crucial times when it seems hard to find.

Terry Sarten (aka Tel) is a writer, musician, social worker and optimistic curmudgeon - feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz