Reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Choosing Hope

There are times when life feels heavy. When the world around us is loud, fractured, and uncertain. Sometimes that weight comes from our own personal circumstances; other times it comes from the state of our nation or the broader global landscape. Being a person among other people has never been simple, and in moments like these, navigating difference, disagreement, and change with grace can feel especially hard.

Today’s world can feel tumultuous. Divided. Angry. And yet, it is in these moments that I return to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” That wisdom feels as relevant now as it did decades ago. Acknowledging hardship is not the same as surrendering to it. We are allowed (even encouraged) to name what is broken and to feel the weight of injustice, fear, or uncertainty. But we are also called to protect something precious in ourselves: hope.

Hope is not naïve optimism. It does not ignore pain or gloss over struggle. Hope is an act of courage. Hope is the belief that even when things are hard, they are not immovable. People can grow. Perspectives can widen. Communities can move toward one another rather than further apart. Dr. King’s life reminds us that progress is rarely linear and that beauty often emerges through challenge, not in the absence of it.

Embracing diversity and difference is not always comfortable, but it is essential. Our differences (of background, belief, experience, and identity) are not obstacles to unity; they are the raw materials of unity. Unity does not require sameness. It requires curiosity, humility, and a willingness to see the humanity in one another, even when it would be easier to retreat or harden our hearts.

There will be moments of disappointment. There always are. But history shows us that progress is built by those who refuse to let disappointment extinguish their belief in what is possible. Each of us has influence to shape the world around us, through our words, our choices, and the way we show up for one another.

So today, I’m choosing to hold onto hope with both hands. To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not only by remembering his words, but by living their meaning: embracing difference, standing for love, and trusting that people, together, can create something better.

Here’s to hope. Here’s to unity. Here’s to the enduring belief that light is never extinguished, it is simply waiting to be carried forward.

By Emily (Murphy) Villines, ACC, CPC, CPSM, MA

Vice President of Strategic Communications