Dare to dream – the power of hope
Hope is a powerful ally in our wellbeing journey. Without hope, there is nothing. Hope is a choosing to believe that things can and will get better or that you can prevail. Life is full of experiences and of course not all of them are positive, however having hope that you will overcome obstacles is the key to setting a path to ensuring you do. Hope is consistently “one of the five strengths most associated with life satisfaction and happiness (Niemec, 2018, Ch.6)” and that is why it is included in the first five strengths series blogs.
Character strengths are those characteristics that are universally regarded as reflecting the best qualities that human beings can have (Niemec, 2018). Hope provides a buffer against anxiety and depression, helps us to persevere in adversity, supports active problem solving, produces greater academic performance, promotes positive interpersonal relationships, improves physical and mental health, builds resilience and can even extend our life (Niemec & McGrath, 2019). Hope is the combination of optimistic thinking, consideration, planning and positive action, that results in “positive expectations about the future (Niemec & McGrath, 2019, p.239).” As Vikram Seth is quoted as saying, hope is about “put(ting) your backbone where your wishbone is”. That is, getting down to work with self-belief in your capacity to achieve and the expectation that the effort will likely result in the desired outcome.
Now occasionally hope gets a bit of a bad rap. People who express optimism or hope are often charged with naivety, immaturity or living in a land of rainbows and unicorns blissfully unaware of the truth of life and its full scope of challenges. However, to suggest that expressing a hopeful attitude means you don’t know or understand life’s trials is equally naïve. Sure, hope as a character strength may be subject to under or overuse, as all strengths can be. However, to dismiss hope entirely based on this interpretation is to miss the opportunity to improve our outlook and there is far greater value in looking for that which makes us feel better than dwelling on that which doesn’t. If all of life is decided on that which we fear or wish to avoid, we narrow the scope of possibilities and quash both our imagination and our joy, today and in the future. Isn’t it better if we go through life making choices that reflect our hopes for what we can do, how we want to work and play, and who we share our lives with?
Here’s to you moving beyond.
Claire x
P.S. Want to cultivate more hopeful thinking? Try this!
The Hope Map
- Take an A4 piece of paper. Fold it so you have 4 even columns when opened out in landscape position.
- At the top of each column, write these headings (left to right): Goal | Obstacles | Pathways | Resources.
- Now write your goal. Next note down any obstacles. Then look for the pathways; the ways you can get to the goal. Lastly, write down all resources available that will help you achieve your goal. These will be your personal abilities and strengths, people who will help you, how you will measure your progress and strategies for maintaining motivation.
- Reflect on your Hope Map. How do you feel about approaching your goal now? Has your perspective on the obstacles changed at all? Can you see a pathway through the obstacles? Are you well resourced? Has the exercise of creating this map given you new insights and motivation?
Positive habit | Where will you use a Hope Map to help you toward your next achievement?
This intervention adapted from: https://www.michellemcquaid.com/hope/
References
Niemec, R., M. (2018). Character Strengths interventions. A field guide for practitioners. Canada: Hogrefe.
Niemec, R., M. & McGrath, R., E. (2019). The power of character strengths. Appreciate and ignite your positive personality. VIA Institute on Character: United States of America.
baseline & beyond 