The Science of Hope — World Renowned Psychologists Explain its Power
We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Through the roller coaster of emotions in life, we may lose sight of the path, but we must never lose hope. Hope is the shining light, which illuminates everything in our future. If we stop following the light, we lose our source of optimism, our faith wavers and we find ourselves asking the most fundamental philosophical questions like: Why? What am I doing?
As I write in my upcoming book on Values, Hope is the sustenance — the life giving bread — that we hunger for and need to keep moving forward in life. At its core, hope is an inspirational force — one that furthers our goals and dreams, and improves our everyday affairs. I want to provide you with some psychological context about hope.
In his book, The Psychology of Hope, You Can Get Here from There, C.R. Snyder defines Hope as follows:
“The sum of the mental willpower and the waypower that you have for your goals.”
He defines willpower as,
“a reservoir of determination and commitment that we can call on to help move us in the direction of (our)goal…”
He goes on to define waypower as,
“a mental capacity we can call on to find one or more effective ways to reach our goals.”
A reservoir of determination. A mental capacity we can call on! Think about how empowering this is. Read closer and understand that we are the ones who have control over hope. We get to dictate the terms and take ownership of whether we live with hope, or whether we doubt and fear of what lie ahead.
Jerome Groopman, The Anatomy of Hope, details more of the science and offers examples of seniors, soldiers and even those suffering from chronic illness. Dr. Suzanne Phillips summarizes:
“Citing research findings from placebo studies in varying medical areas, Groopman illuminates the way in which belief and expectation, cardinal components of hope, can block pain by releasing the brain’s endorphin and enkephalins — the body’s own version of morphine.”
Think about that — we can literally block pain by having hope. Talk about mind over matter!
The Structure
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul — and sings the tunes without the words — and never stops at all.” — Emily Dickinson
Obvious obstacles to hope are anxiety, depression, stress and previous failures. If we’re not resolute, as well as mentally and emotionally strong, it’s not easy to maintain hope. Hope is also fueled by a strong support structure. Who are those people for you? Mom? Dad? What about your boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse?
I can tell you that my wife, and now son, provide me with an infinite amount of hope each day. When I get down, I turn to the people who love me most and rely upon me. I recognize that I don’t want to let them down. Their love, faith in me and optimism about what we can do together as a family, gives me hope everyday.
The Power is Within
“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
Hope is generated through the power of thoughts in our mind, which is aided by positive experiences, optimism about the future and the support of those around us. Surround yourself with great people.
What has become truer for me by the day is the concept that we control our own destiny through the power of our thoughts. We emotionalize our ideas with the power of love, faith and hope. We take these thoughts and envision ourselves doing what we desire. And we put it into plan and take the action that we’ve dreamed of. It really is that simple. Do this and you will never be denied.
In the foundation of your personal core structure, faith comes first, then hope. Some people miss out on so much in life because they don’t generate enough motivation, inspiration and interest in the future. Stay focused on the present but get excited for what’s next. There’s hope for all of us!
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Live Boldly!
My upcoming book on Values is due out this August. Contact me via my website here, Like my Facebook writer’s page here and join my newsletter to get the first chapter of my book FOR FREE!
