So this is something I’ve realized recently, and now feel the need to take responsibility for.
I feel like in the past, in certain videos, I’ve told people what they want to hear,
not what they need to hear, and perhaps have supported this overly optimistic perspective on
life. When the truth is, sometimes things just aren’t going to go the way you want them too,
no matter how much you dream, how much you try, how much you sacrifice. In those situations, it’s
easy to become cynical, and automatically reject any and all possibilities for how particular
conflicts can be resolved. Sometimes it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I’ve been there, and still go through those moments to this very day, but I can say that,
at least for me personally, with enough patience, and perseverance, it does eventually get better,
or at the very least, I begin to notice a breadcrumb trail that I can follow, as if the
Universe is telling me to go in that direction. That, in my opinion, is the definition of hope.
Those who decide to give up trying completely, and give into despair,
are more likely than not allowing fear, and anxiety to control their lives.
As a result, terrible decisions are made. Here’s a profound quote from Avatar: The Last Airbender:
“You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road
and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times,
hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.” - Uncle Iroh
But how does one find hope when there seemingly is none? Well, you could do it like how Aang does it
in Avatar. In the middle of Book 2, we get to see an interesting, though depressing
side to his character. At the end of the episode, “The Library” his loyal companion
and oldest friend, Appa is captured and sent away to God knows where. Naturally,
Aang is devastated after finding out the news. It especially doesn’t help that they’re stranded
in the middle of a desert with barely any water, and no path to follow for shelter.
The show makes it clear before this episode that Aang, and Appa share a unique bond,
but this is where we truly get to see how much Aang loves his giant pet.
You can tell by the twitching in his eyes there’s a lot of frustration that he’s holding
in even in this scene, but that anger has to go somewhere, right? So, without knowing what to do
he takes it out on his friends. Which is very unusual to how he typically
is in the show. This character is anything, but passive-aggressive. He’s usually the jokester,
the one who can bring peace to a dark situation, the person who can make all
the other characters smile when something becomes too stressful. To see him like this
is so opposite to his character, and really emphasizes how much Appa means to him.
When he finally finds the person who stole his bison,
he makes sure to take all his pain, and frustration out on him, but luckily,
Katara steps in and stops him before he goes super saiyan 5 on them.
Eventually, Aang accepts the unfortunate situation for what it is.
However, his attitude shift is very sudden, almost too sudden,
in fact. In the following episode he’s got this nonchalant, “whatever” kind of vibe. Intuitively,
Katara speculates he’s running away from his feelings because he wants to “look strong.” Aang
even gives subtle clues to how he really feels about the idea of hope later in the episode.
What is Aang talking about here? Is there any truth to this viewpoint? Is hope nothing more
than a distraction? The answer to this question is subjective, but for fairness I want to look
at it from both perspectives. On one hand, you could argue it is a distraction because it can
blind us from seeing the truth about a particular situation. You could hope that the earth is flat,
but that doesn’t mean it’s actually flat. In certain cases, if we rely on hope for too long,
and ignore the facts, we could live our lives in fantasy land.
On the other hand, I could argue everything starts with hope. Look around your room, or look around
the area that you’re at, none of these man-made creations could be built without a vision,
without an imagination, without hope. Hope is that motivating feeling that drives us to
our destination. It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning, it’s what gets us to exercise, it’s
what gets us to eat healthier. We anticipate some sort of positive outcome to come from our actions.
That’s why when we have no hope, and expect bad things to happen, life becomes miserable.
As you’ll see in this clip, Katara is clearly a fond believer of hope.
So I think now would be a good time to mention this episode revolves around a woman who is
pregnant, and is looking for a safe place to give birth. Aang is given the responsibility to
protect and care for the woman, and her family. When the baby is born later in the episode,
Aang is blown away by the beauty of the scene. Tears of happiness flow down his face.
At long last, he’s found that spark of light in his dark cave.
He found something actually worth smiling about. He found his hope.
As shown in this scene, one of the best ways to find hope is by appreciating the miracle of life.
Everyone has their own instant moments of happiness, or… at the very least, activities
that intrigue them in some way. For me it’s eating my favorite food, going on a hike in a forest,
or riding a bike. These are just some of the many things that make me go,
“wow, life is actually pretty cool.” As previously quoted in one of my videos:
“Gratitude is the best medicine. It heals your mind,
your body, and your spirit. And attracts more things to be grateful for.”
Aang is grateful for his family. In the heat of the moment, he forgot his friends are not his
enemies. If anything, they’re the ones who care about him the most. At the end of this episode,
he makes sure to express his appreciation for their support.
So what are you grateful for? Whatever it is, appreciate it as much as you can
because nothing lasts forever, but at the same time, I think that’s what makes the
best things in life so precious. So never give up. I can tell you, based on my experience,
hope is found when you least expect it.
Thanks for watching.