Hope and the Future

Posted byHanging on to HopePosted inHanging on to HOPE - from Acknowledgement to Action

Welcome to a new year!

The month of January has always represented a period of introspection and change for me.  This month of January, 2022 is no exception.

The title of the English word for the month “January” actually originates from the Latin word “Ianuarius” which is named after ‘Janus”, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology.

The month of January has always been a time and opportunity for me to re-access my direction in life by reviewing the past year…asking “What worked. What did not?  What needs to be kept and what needs to be discarded?” Our cartoon characters have a few things to say about this …. 

The month of January is a time of introspection for me as I look back to the past and then look forward to the future.  Goals, objectives and resolutions for the new year become a part of this process.  And I would like to offer my “Hope for the Future” in 2022 and beyond:

My Hope for the Future:

  • Restoring Civility ..What I have seen and witnessed in our society today is a breakdown in our ability to differentiate between an individual’s words and opinions and the individual himself or herself. What happened to our ability to allow another individual the right to express their opinion without labeling or considering them evil or an enemy?  This year, let us return to Civility and respecting each other in spite of the fact that we may disagree with them!
  • Restoring Our Moral Compass .. Somewhere over the past decades, we have lost a belief in, and observance of, our ability to act with respect to a moral guide for our actions and behaviors.  This holds true both for many individuals as well as our nation as a whole. We have seemingly abandoned a moral compass on which to basis our thoughts and actions.  That moral compass can be provided by religion or our spiritual connections.  Let us return this year to following our moral compasses!
  • Restoring Our Hope in the Future . . .In spite of all the negativity displayed in the media and surrounding us, I believe there is HOPE in a better future.  But it will not come easy and it requires both new thoughts and decisions as well as ACTION.  Let us all work to restore this Hope in the Future, starting today!

2022 Changes:  “Hanging on to Hope” Website and Blog

 In the upcoming year you will notice changes in both  the content of the some of the Website pages as well as the frequency of publication of this Blog:

  • Web page changes include:
  • The “Punchlines” Page will no longer include the the “Punster of the Month” section. However, puns and humor will still be an important part of this Web page and our cartoon characters will now be featured in the “Hope and Humor” section of the Web page.
  •  There is a major change to the the previous “Book Summaries” page.  Book summaries will no longer be posted on this page and the scope and topics on this page will focus on resources for dealing with Adversity.  This page has been retitled the “Resources” page.
  • Frequency of Future Blog Posts

       Please note:  In the future, the “Hanging on to Hope” Blog will be published on a quarterly instead of a monthly basis.  Future blog postings this year will occur in April, 2022,    July, 2022, and October, 2022.

I enjoy communicating with you and look forward to hearing from you in the future!

With love and respect to each of you as well as an acknowledgement that

Adversity in life is NOT optional, but your response to it is! Hang on to Hope!

Happy New Year !

Gregory Charles Reynolds

January, 2022

Published by Hanging on to Hope

Gregory Charles Reynolds has been on a spiritual quest for most of his life. As a student at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, he studied religion, philosophy, and art. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamline in 1971 and has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota. After a rewarding 32-year career working in the Finance and Education and Training organizations within 3M Company, he retired in 2007. In 2016, he came out of retirement to work for a non-profit organization and subsequently "retired" a second time in 2020. Gregory is no stranger to adversity and the struggle we each face to not only survive, but attempt to thrive under adverse conditions and circumstances. Recovering from a heart attack in 2008, he found renewed strength, support and belief in the power of an awesome God. He could not have done this alone, and is extremely grateful to family members and friends who guided him through a difficult time. Having witnessed the effects of illnesses and diseases like cancer on close friends and family members, he is constantly reminded that adversity impacts not only the patient or victim, but also those who care about the health and wellbeing of others. Believing that adversity in all our lives is not optional, Greg has continued his quest to find meaning and purpose in life and has established this website and blog to create hope in the future for all of us.

One thought on “Hope and the Future”

Leave a reply to Dr. Leighton J Reynolds Cancel reply