Nearly any Procovery Circle* member can tell you the difference between hoping and wishing, in any number of ways, including  by reciting a story, utilized in Procovery Circles,  to highlight the difference.  The story is about Sheldon and can be found on page 82 of the The Power of Procovery in Healing.

Now Sheldon really, really wants to win the lottery.  And every single day he prays that he will. But despite faithfully praying every day, he never does win, and when Sheldon dies and finds himself at the Pearly Gates, he asks pleadingly “St. Peter, I have been waiting my whole life to ask you why you never, ever, ever let me win the lottery? Not even once? Not even for a dollar? I prayed every single day that I might win, and I can’t understand why you never helped me out?”  And St. Peter looks at Sheldon and equally pleadingly asks, “Sheldon, I have been waiting all of your life to ask you something. Why did you never, ever, EVER, help me out, even one time, and BUY A LOTTERY TICKET?”

Click here to hear Gary Gougis a passionate Procovery Circle Facilitator at South Bay Mental Health Center share his take on this story about Sheldon.

Click here to hear Susan Scott in West Plains, MO responding to the same question.

So, there is a critical difference between hoping and wishing. Wishing is passive, hoping is active. Hope can fuel change.

To quote Andy Warhol, “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”

Moving beyond wishing, activating the power of hope, being able to really see how powerful change can take place, inspires us to do what we need to do, to get where we want to go…

Until next time…

Kathleen

*To learn more about Procovery Circles please click on the following link: http://www.procovery.com/procovery-circles/