A few weeks ago, I wrote about the language of emotions and the complexity of communicating your thoughts and feelings. I discussed Bene Brown’s newest book, “Atlas of the Heart” which includes a description of 87 emotions.
Of those 87 emotions, Hope was not one of them.
Surprised?
I was.
As a person who has survived on hope, I considered hope an emotion.
But hope may not be what you think it is.
According to Merriam-Webster and Oxford, hope is a:
a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment
But social scientists have developed more than 26 theories or definitions of hope during the last fifty years. Hope is a concept that has captured the attention of philosophers, writers, artists, and scholars for decades. (Lopez et al., 2003).
Most notable, however, is the work of C.R. Snyder, an American psychologist and pioneer in positive psychology, who developed a model of hope that has dominated the psychological literature for decades.
It’s his theory that has most likely played a role in your life without you realizing it.
Consider a time you faced a challenge. How did you respond?
Did you look for ways to overcome it?
Did you succumb to it?
If you find a way around an obstacle, you have a hopeful outlook, even if you don’t consider yourself an overly positive, hopeful person.
According to Snyder, hopeful thinkers achieve more and are physically and psychologically healthier than less hopeful people.
Fascinated by the ideas of hope and forgiveness, Snyder published six books about hope and more than 250 articles about its impact on health, work, education, and personal meaning.
Brene Brown, who often discusses Snyder’s Hope Theory, clarifies what hope is and what it’s not.
“It’s not a warm, fuzzy emotion that fills us with a sense of possibility.
Hope is a way of thinking - a cognitive process.
Yes, emotions play a role but hope is made up of what C.R. Snyder called a “‘trilogy of goals, pathways, and agency.’”
-Brene Brown
Hope is a way of thinking. Hopeful thinkers:
establish clear goals.
consider multiple workable pathways toward those goals.
persevere, even when there are challenges along the way.
Hope is how we think; not how we feel.
Hope is also 100% teachable. High levels of hope can be learned through parents who have taught it or modeled it.
If you’re interested in learning more about the theory behind Snyder’s concept of hope, you can read more about it here.
But I’d rather you consider these key points:
Hope is a way of thinking that can be learned and used to your advantage across many areas of life.
Hope is a state of mind that helps you navigate life’s uncertainty.
Hope is a function of struggle and keeps you moving when times are tough.
Hope is not just a happy, positive feeling – it's a mechanism that enables you to survive and thrive despite the circumstances in your life.
Your capacity for hopeful thoughts begins when you’re a child and develops throughout your lifetime. It can be fine-tuned and help you make the best of the opportunities that present themselves.
How to apply Snyder’s Theory of Hope to your life
Step 1: Develop Goal-Oriented Thinking
Goals can be long-term or short-term. They can be statements, such as "I want a new job," or they can be mental images, such as picturing yourself living in a new area.
When Snyder interviewed his research subjects, he found they reported feeling the most hopeful when their goals were attainable but also contained some degree of uncertainty.
Think about your own goals. Are they attainable yet challenging?
Consider using SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Step 2: Find pathways to your goals
Finding the path to your goals often requires creativity. The more determined you are, the more hopeful you’re likely to be. If something beyond your control gets in your way, you’ll find another route!
When dozens of doctors told me they didn’t know what was causing my chronic illness, I looked for new pathways. I didn’t stop searching until the right path was found.
Sometimes a goal seems unattainable. It certainly did for me. I continued my search by analyzing what was working and what wasn’t, researching alternative paths, and making endless lists of key steps.
When things didn’t go as planned, I reevaluated the barriers and created a new plan.
Step 3: Believe in your ability to create change
Snyder called this step "Agency." Agency is the belief that you can accomplish what you set out to - that the pathway you've identified will lead to your desired goal if you continue to work toward it.
Agency thinking is especially important when your path becomes blocked. It gives you the flexibility to change course and take a different route.
If staying motivated proves difficult, especially when your goals are long-term, consider creating a vision board. I’ve written about vision boards and their role in my life. They offer a constant reminder of what you’re working towards.
Become a hopeful thinker
Becoming a hopeful thinker is more than developing goals and creating paths to attain those goals. It's a way of life, a belief system that can improve one's future.
Thank you for being a part of The Power of Change, and welcome to the new subscribers who joined this past week. I’m so grateful for your support and thrilled you’re here.
If you enjoyed this post, please click the ❤️ at the end so more people can discover it on Substack. If it resonates with you, drop me a note and let me know how. And, of course, if someone you know could benefit from reading this, please share it with them. 🙏🏻
Until next week, be mindful and stay safe.
C. R. Snyder References
Snyder, C. (2002) 'Hope Theory: Rainbows in the Mind.' Psychological Inquiry, Volume 13, Issue 4, 2002. (Available here.)
Snyder, C.R., Rand, K.L. and Sigmon, D.R. (2002). Hope theory: A member of the positive psychology family. In Snyder, C.R. and Lopez, S.J. (Eds.) The Handbook of Positive Psychology (pp. 257-276). New York, USA: Oxford University Press. (Available here.)
Really enjoyed this. Do you think hope and resilience are siblings?