Famous for her clever aphorisms, journalist Mignon McLaughlin summarizes the nature of hope here in a simple but powerful way. When we are going through our darkest days, hope is the little ray of light that reminds us there are brighter times ahead. Hard times are not permanent, and holding on to hope that this, too, shall pass, is what gives us strength to get through them.

Jack Kornfield is a spiritual teacher who helped introduce Buddhist practices into Western mainstream culture in the 1970s. Educated in the United States, he joined the Peace Corps and worked in tropical medicine in Southeast Asia. His travels led him to train as a Buddhist monk for several years in Thailand, India, and Myanmar (then called Burma). Upon his return to the U.S., Kornfield co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and continued his studies, writing numerous books and giving talks on Buddhist philosophy. Many of his teachings focus on the need to let go of attempts to control our lives in order to reflect more deeply. In loosening our grip on a situation, we can also release the fear that surrounds it, making way for the calm that comes from acceptance.

The work of Chinese author and scholar Lin Yutang often acted as a cultural bridge in the early 20th century. He founded several Western-style satire magazines in Chinese, and in 1935 topped the “New York Times” bestseller list with “My Country and My People,” his English-language book on China. During the Sino-Japanese war in the 1930s, Lin also wrote social and political columns calling for international aid on behalf of the Chinese people. His words above match his trailblazing career and remind us that not every road is laid out for us: We have to believe we can move forward together before taking the first step.