When faced with life’s toughest circumstances, how should we respond: as an optimist, a realist, or something else? In an unforgettable talk, explorer Mark Pollock and human rights lawyer Simone George explore the tension between acceptance and hope in times of grief — and share the groundbreaking work they’re undertaking to cure paralysis.
A Love Letter to Realism in A Time of Grief
DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE
It is not possible to think of a life where there is no pain and suffering, it is not possible to think of a perfect life, without smudges and imperfections. Pain and suffering are not abstractions, but realities from which we cannot escape. On the one hand, life shows all its precariousness, unfathomability, non-programming, on the other hand, paradoxically, precisely this precariousness makes it precious because it is unique and unrepeatable. Suffering remains a negative reality in our life; you cannot rejoice in front of it, but the only way to redeem it on a human level is to know how to recognize it for what it is, to look it in the face, not to be afraid to make it a moment of reflection in the various moments of your life. All this feeds hope, increases courage, revives the desire to start again.