Hope is the Word of the Day

In his 1959 variety show, Frank Sinatra interviewed Eleanor Roosevelt and asked the question, "If you had one minute to leave one word with 25 million people, what would that word be?" Roosevelt answered, "That one word would be hope. It's the most neglected word in our language." She goes on to say, "Without hope, there can be no solution to any of mankind's troubles." 

These days, there's a lot of things to hope for. The end to the pandemic. The health of our loved ones. The safe start of in-person school for our kids. The recovery of our economy. A change in our government. We all tap into hope at various times in our lives. These days, I feel like I tap into it more than usual. 

All of this has gotten me thinking - what does the word hope mean anyway? Is it just a desire, or is there more to it? And what is the difference between hope and optimism? What about wishing? 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, hope means a desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment. With hope, not only do you have a desire for a certain outcome, but you also have the belief or expectation that it will come true.

In a study called the Hope Theory, psychologist and pioneer hope researcher Charles R. Synder Ph.D. defines hope as a multidimensional state of being. Hope is not just the desire for something to happen; it also comes with goals, agency, and pathways thinking. Let's break down some of those definitions.

1. Goals Thinking – the clear conceptualization of valuable goals

2. Pathways Thinking – the capacity to develop specific strategies to reach those goals

3. Agency Thinking – the ability to initiate and sustain the motivation for using those strategies

Hope starts with having a goal that is important to you. But it doesn’t stop there. It also comes with a belief that you can attain those goals, as well as the capability to implement different strategies to reach them. In short, hope gives us the will and determination to realize our dreams.

This brings us to the difference between hope and other positive emotions like optimism and wishing:

Wishing is a strong desire for something that is not easily attainable, or probably will not happen. You can wish for world peace, but it probably won't happen. Hope, on the other hand, is based on reality.

Optimism is an attitude. It is a belief that a situation will be better in the future. Hope takes optimism to the next level. It uses that positive attitude as fuel to make action happen.

Psychologist Shane Lopez, Ph.D., another leading researcher of hope and author of the 2013 book "Making Hope Happen," views hope like oxygen. “We can’t live without hope." Hope has many positive effects on our well-being, including more success in the workplace and greater happiness overall.

In Lopez's book, he outlines the shared core beliefs of hopeful people:

1.    The future will be better than the present

2.    I have the power to make it so.

3.    There are many paths to my goals.

4.    None of them is free of obstacles.

Hope gives you a vision for the future and the power and conviction to make it happen. It gives you the motivation to tackle your goals and overcome obstacles, providing the foresight that if one path is closed to you, you can find another one open. Furthermore, hope is attainable to everyone. "Hope doesn't relate to IQ or income," says Lopez. "Hope is an equal opportunity resource."

Many of us are sheltering in for the third peak of this pandemic, making daily life challenging in one way or another. But by embracing hope, we can cultivate a mindset to deal with difficult times and accomplish our goals, even in the midst of uncertainty.

I've taken advantage of this equal opportunity resource by taking small steps to ensure a better future. After stress eating and gaining weight at the start of the pandemic, I committed to getting healthier. I did a cleanse, took dairy out of my diet, and lowered my carb intake. My new diet has helped me to get rid of the brain fog that was getting in the way of my daily productivity. This has helped me tackle another goal - investing in my growth - both personally and professionally. I have committed to learning all I can about emotional intelligence, habit formation, and developing an online business. All of these activities have given me renewed hope for the future.

It's so easy to feel despair right now. The pandemic has had repercussions on our well-being - physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. But while there are many daily challenges we face, things will be better, and we all have the power to make it so.

I encourage you to look to the power of hope to reframe your current situation and see beyond it. Think of ways in which you can infuse your life with more hope. Get excited about a new goal. Invest in yourself. Plan your next adventure. Write that novel. Build that new business.

During the Frank Sinatra Timex Show I mentioned earlier, Eleanor Roosevelt recited some of the words to her host's song, "High Hopes." This is what she said to the audience during the broadcast:

Next time you're found
With your chin on the ground
There's a lot to be learned
So, look around

Once there was a silly old ant
Thought he'll move a rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can't
Move a rubber tree plant

But he had high hopes
High apple pie in the sky hopes 

So, any time you're gettin' low
Instead of lettin' go
Just remember that ant
Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant

So, keep your high hopes
Those high apple in the sky hopes
A problem's just a toy balloon
They will be bursting soon
They are just bound to go pop.
Oops, there goes another problem kerplop
Another problem, kerplop.

There's a real beauty to hope. Hope is resiliency at its best. Hope is strength on steroids. With hope, when problems come up, like a toy balloon, problems are bound to go 'pop.' Eventually, you will see your way past the challenges and towards your ultimate goal.

I hope you enjoyed learning about hope - our word of the day. My research into this multi-faceted emotion has given me a new-found respect for the word. It's a word that I will try to carry with me every day - during the pandemic and beyond.