I read a wonderful interview this week with Daniel Barenboim. His life is an example of using creativity to overcome adversity; first losing his wife Jacqueline du Pre to MS and the devastation he felt over that, and secondly his anger and frustration over Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. The latter led him to found the Divan Orchestra which united musicians from both the Arab and Israeli side of the divide. They have brought great pleasure to audiences worldwide and a comment he made in the interview really struck a chord with me, and I wanted to share it with you.
He said “When I was younger I was more concerned with hope. Now I think it’s a waste of time and energy. You have to do what you can do. Hope is not something you can aspire to. It’s something you have to create.”
At the age of 67, Barenboim has a different view on hope from when he was younger. I absolutely believe in hope; it’s the light at the end of the tunnel that draws us forward, but he’s right about creating it. If you sit in the dark and despair you will not see the light. If you look forward in hope your intention will create a beacon to light the way, but what ignites it is you stepping forward and taking action.
At the risk of sounding like my old English teacher, discuss – and let me know what you think!
