Perhaps for many of us, it is customary to make resolutions at the start of the year. These are aspirations to make the year or one’s future better, more meaningful and fruitful. Making resolutions afford us hope as we begin the journey of a new year.

New Year resolutions may be new ventures, goals and projects -higher, bigger and greater endeavors. Resolutions are hope-ful undertakings. Yet, resolutions are not thought of and created without regret. Many resolutions come from unrealized dreams and goals, unfinished businesses, neglected obligations, lost opportunities, and failed attempts. Resolutions are an expression of the desire to rise from falls, to bounce back from failures, to repair damages, to address conflicts, to realize dreams and, ultimately, to rise from regrets. Thus, we can say: from regrets, hope can come.

Author Daniel Pink speaks of 4 kinds of regret: Foundation, Boldness, Moral, and Connections regrets. Foundation regrets are those that represent failures to be responsible, conscientious, or prudent which makes one think: “Kung ginawa ko lang yung hinihingi sa akin…” “Kung pinagsikapan ko lang ang pag-aaral ko…” “Kung nakining lang ako sa doktor…” “Nag-dieta na sana ako…” “Kung sana nag-ipon na ako…” Much of this are related to finances and health.

Boldness regrets are due to inaction or lost opportunities, e.g., choosing a career, pursuing a true love, learning a language or a musical instrument. “Kung sinimulan ko na sana ito noon pa…” “Kung sana kinuha ko yung opportunity…” “Kung sana di ko napabayaan yung project ko – kaya ko naman sana ‘yon.” “Kung sineryoso ko lang ang trabaho/assignment ko…” “Kung naglakas loob lang sana akong magsalita…” “Kung pinanindigan ko lang sana ang posisyon ko…” “Kung hindi lang sana ako nagpadaig sa takot…” “Kung tinuloy ko na sana ang plano ko…”

Moral regrets are those that result from poor choices. These are varied and often most painful individually. One says: “Kung ‘di lang ako nagpatalo sa tukso…” “Kung naging matatag lang sana ako…” “Kung naging honest lang sana ako…” “Sana naging tapat ako.” “Sana nagbago na ako noon pa.” “Sana pinigilan ko ang sarili ko.” “Kung ‘di lang sana nawala ang self-control ko.” “Kung di lang ako naging matakaw.” “Dapat nagbalik loob na ako.” “Sana itinuwid ko na ang masasamang ugali ko.” “Sana hindi ko tinakasan ang obligasyon ko.”

Connection regrets come from neglecting people who matter to you and positively contribute to one’s sense of wholeness. “Sana kinausap ko siya.” “Sina dinalaw ko siya noong may sakit siya.” “Sana binalikan ko yung friendship namin.” “Sana pinatawad ko na siya.” “Sana ako na ang nagpakumbaba.”

Pink avers that regrets are not useless. According to him, regrets make us more human and give us an opportunity for growth. Thus, to this we can add: regrets and hope are sisters for regrets can engender hope.

Moving forward with hope

As we begin 2024, I suggest we focus on hope instead of immersing ourselves in regret. Our current global and local situation, even our personal lives, can be quite challenging. The eruption of wars, the volatile economic situation, the absence of peace and unity, the situation of poverty, the deteriorating climate situation, the political turmoil, the rising costs of living, among others -from these trying and terrible times, hope can shine. In truth, hope shines more in absurd situations where we hope against hope.

Definitely, the future is uncertain. We travel without a clear map in a world gripped by hatred, greed, selfishness, and indifference. In such a situation, we need hope to move forward. How, then, can we bring hope? Is it still even reasonable to hope? Reason itself even seems to provide us with reasons not to hope.

Hope is the conviction that we shall attain what we long and pray for. It is also the courage and the strength to resist the temptations of despair and meaninglessness, especially in the face of great adversities and seemingly absurd situations. Despair and meaninglessness rob us of our worth and value, and these can lead to our self-destruction.

The journey may be arduous, there is still reason enough to hope. If we only look around, we will find the seeds of the good and their fruits. God has placed in our hearts a ray of hope.

Yet how can we bring hope in a world -or a community, a family, a neighborhood, a workplace –perhaps disturbed by hatred, greed, selfishness, and indifference? In such very difficult situations, reason even seems to militate against hope. Some young people may ask: “With unabated violence, lingering poverty, never-ending corruption around, is it still reasonable to hope?”
During these trying times, Pope Francis calls us to proceed with hope. In fact, Pope Francis has invited the faithful -all members of the Church- to journey in hope. The theme of the Jubilee in 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope”. But, how can we be pilgrims of hope?
Action is a setting of hope. Pope Benedict says: “All serious and upright human conduct is hope in action.” (Spe Salvi #35) When we see somebody doing good, we see hope in action and more often than not, hope is awoken in us. We are able to say: “Meron, naman palang ginagawa.” “Pinakikinggan naman pala tayo.” “Hay salamat, meron pang honest na driver dito sa mundo.” “Salamat sa Diyos at mukhang binabago na niya ang ugali niya.” “May mapagkakatiwalaan pa naman pala.”

The absence of good and good people can lead to further frustration and despair. We find ourselves saying: “Walang pag-asa talaga.” And without hope we are overcome by fear and uselessness. (Cf. Spe Salvi) It can also lead to fanaticism.

While we are hopeful, however, we are also aware that not everything may go perfectly. Things may even turn differently from the way we want to happen. And certainly, we cannot escape suffering. How are we to deal with this?

Suffering is a setting of hope. (Cf. Spe Salvi) To suffer is difficult, but to suffer alone brings about a different kind of pain, just as being misunderstood is a further and greater suffering. But when somebody shows mercy and compassion, there comes ‘consolation’. “Salamat sa Diyos at may nakapansin sa akin.” “Salamat naman at may karamay ako.” “Salamat at may nagmamalasakit pa sa akin.” “Salamat Panginoon, hindi pala ako nag-iisa.” When somebody suffers with us, there is compassion (cum+patire); and this gives us hope. And when we are able to show empathy and compassion to those who suffer, we become sources of consolation and instruments of hope.

Vaclav Havel, speaking about hope says that it is “not a state of the world but a state of the mind, an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart; it transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons.” He goes on to say: “Hope, (in this deep and powerful sense), is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but, rather, an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. The more unpropitious the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper that hope is. Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. In short, I think that the deepest and most important form of hope, the only one that can keep us above water and urge us to good works, and the only true source of the breathtaking dimension of the human spirit and its efforts, is something we get, as it were, from “elsewhere.” It is also this hope, above all, which gives us the strength to live and continually to try new things, even in conditions that seem as hopeless as ours do, here and now.”

From Human Hope to Divine Hope

Human hope is to aspire for that ‘unpossessed good in the future that is difficult to attain, and yet, capable of being attained.’ We have lesser and greater hopes. But our true hope is God. Placing our hope in God is Divine Hope. The Scripture reminds us not to put our trust in riches, nor in man. Psalm 62:10 says, “Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” And Psalm 146:3 exhorts us, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord, their God.”

Not on anything or anyone, but in the Lord we put our hope. To sustain ourselves in hope is to accept God’s love, “the indestructible power of Love that gives us meaning and importance.” When this indestructible love is within us, we are able to face life’s challenges, sorrows and tragedies. This is hope: we do not give up. We trust that “those who sow in tears, will sing, when they reap.” (Psalm 126)

St. Paul, in his first letter to Peter, looks forward to the glory to be revealed as we face life’s sufferings: “To the elders among you, I a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and sharer in the glory that is to be revealed, make this appeal.” (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Psalm 33:16-22 speaks of vain hope and true hope.

No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
 and keep them alive in famine.

We wait in hope for the Lord;
 he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
 for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.

As we begin a new journey this 2024, let us sail anew in hope. Let hope spring from our regrets. Let us be instruments of hope. Let us cling to Jesus, He is our Hope!