The Statue of Liberty & the Concept of Hope

September 17, 2010

On a recent trip to New York City, I took a quick 1-hour boat tour of the New York Harbor.  It was an incredible view of an incredible city!  The most significant part of the tour (at least for me) was when the engines slowed down, the boat stopped, and we slowly drifted past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.  At the same time, the pre-recorded voice of the tour guide talked about the immigrants who came into Ellis Island filled with hopes and dreams of making a new life in the United States.  Virtually every story we heard on that tour was one of people who came here without anything, worked hard, believed in what they were doing and why they were doing it, and achieved success.  It was very inspiring.

On the walk back to the hotel, I began to think about some of the more difficult phone calls I have received on the helpline.  (Yet another indication that I just might need a hobby!) What made a few of the calls stand out in my memory is that there was a sense of hopelessness.  The callers were in financial distress, they felt that the walls were closing in on them, and they didn’t know what to do.  I heard a combination of fear, despair, loss of hope and confusion.  After learning the facts of the situation, understanding what was going on right now, as well as some of the history that led up to the phone call provided me with enough information to see the big picture.  Often, callers are stressed by collections companies, default notices, etc. and become consumed with the details, losing sight of the big picture at times.

While many of the financial situations are serious (including situations where bankruptcy or government aid was the only viable alternative), my goal was simply to find something in a relatively bleak situation that could be viewed as the first step toward a solution.  It may not be a perfect solution, but there will be a resolution eventually.  From there, a path can be built toward progress, but progress can only come when there is hope in the equation.  I have found that during the more difficult conversations, my most important job is to look at the situation and try to find one good thing.  Until one good thing (and the hope that often accompanies it) is found, no “clinical” financial solution will work.  Task #1 can be sometimes defined as “Find the Hope.”  Seeing the Statue of Liberty reminded me of how many great things have been accomplished by those who had nothing other than that.