Hope is the only thing you have, right before giving up. I found myself in an unexpected situation in the past year. A couple of days ago, I had an interesting conversation with a very good friend of mine. Sometimes we loose things that mean the world to us. I don’t mean people, I mean things like a job, a task, a sport that you loved so much but you had to give it up due to an injury. These things sometimes give us meaning to our existence.
When this loss happens, you have no control over them. You are left with this unexplainable feeling of grief, as if something was snatched or ripped away. This may change you and lead to you giving up on other aspects of your life. But more importantly you stop believing in yourself.
While walking in that dark valley of lost dreams and ambition, I must tell you that it is a consuming, cold and a sad feeling.
My friend asked me, “What happened to you? Remember when you were so persistent in getting what you want and you believed you could make a difference...?” She was referring to my old job. I used to work with an international humanitarian organisation, I replied: “Because it was exactly what I wanted, it was my dream, it sparked energy in me... fulfilled me emotionally and spiritually.” But I realise now that the dark side of loss is that it blinds you from everything that is still good. Human beings are capable of doing so many things.
Writing this piece is actually my first step into coming back, realising things around me and things within me that were long lost, forgotten. Starting that small spark that may eventually become a fire if persuaded correctly.
The reader is a freelance consultant and entrepreneur based in Kuwait.
