What if we did not have stories to learn from or lean on? Would we be able to practise hope, or would it remain an abstract concept?

In last week's episode of EZ Conversations with Ramsey Hanhan, we explored the idea that hope is not simply a feeling, but something deeper—a practice. As Ramsey shared his story of growing up in Palestine under occupation, alongside the larger story of millions of Palestinians, he kept emphasizing the importance of lived experience—something that can easily be reduced to catchy titles, simplified narratives, or even glorified when discussed by those who have not lived it.

How does one find hope in a situation where there seems to be no clear path ahead, where uncertainty persists and there appears to be no end in sight to the atrocities?

For Ramsey, part of the answer has been sharing lived experience.

Over the past several years, he gave up his career as an educator in the sciences to pursue something far more uncertain, yet deeply meaningful. He chose to share his story, and those of Palestinians, through his writing, releasing Fugitive Dreams in 2022 and Palestine Bleeds for You in 2026. Part of his motivation was deeply personal: he wanted to preserve these stories for his daughter.

As I reflected on my conversation with Ramsey, I was left saddened and confused. Over time, I have lost friendships because their views of certain conflicts did not align with my pursuit of truth. I refused to take a reductionist view of complex issues and choose an answer simply because it was convenient.

There is freedom in sitting with uncertainty and resisting the urge to form a judgement about what we do not know. But there is also wisdom in listening to the lived experiences of others.

Perhaps that is one reason I have enjoyed reading so much throughout my life, especially over the past few years.

It is easy to gravitate towards a catchy storyline or a three-second hook offered on social media. It requires far more discipline, self-control, and patience to sit with a book and follow someone else's story. Yet, we gain perspective when we are willing to sit in that discomfort, especially in the distraction-filled world in which we find ourselves.

I often see a similar tension in my work with clients. As clinicians, we must remain aware of countertransference and of our own tendency to jump to conclusions or offer solutions. Yet growth often happens through lived experience. We can offer perspective, ask questions, and share wisdom, but we cannot experience another person's journey for them.

At the same time, experiences must be shared so that others can draw wisdom from them. We listen, learn, and then choose our own paths. No two paths are exactly the same, but the experiences of those who walked before us can illuminate parts of our own.

And perhaps that is where hope becomes a practice.

In times of uncertainty, confronting the truth can feel like a lonely journey. We may not know what to do or where the path will lead. That is where the lived experiences of others can offer us light.

Reading the stories of the Prophets, and more recently the lives and writings of Mandela, Gandhi, and Malcolm X, has given me hope—not because their paths were easy or because they knew exactly where those paths would lead, but because they continued forward despite uncertainty.

The path may not always seem clear.

But there is hope—not merely as a feeling we wait to experience, but as something we must wake up every day and practise.

Head to YouTube for the full episode. Or Subscribe below:

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