HOPE may be the Key to Everything
Photo by Jess Loiterton
A recent study tracked 25,000 adults over a 14-year period and found that those with high levels of hope saw improved economic, employment, and educational outcomes, as well as better health and overall well-being.
Wow, could it be that simple?
The study, published in Health Economics, defined “hope” as the determination to make things better, as distinct from “optimism”, which was defined as the belief that they will get better, but without the agency to contribute to that change.
According to the researchers, “those with high levels of hope had higher levels of well-being, education, earning and employment outcomes, perceived and objective health indicators, and are much less likely to be lonely than those with low levels of hope,”
“We also find a persistence of hope within persons, which in turn likely helps drive outcome-driven behavior over many years,” they noted.
Additionally, the researchers found a correlation between hope and resilience, as people adapted to change more easily and were not as profoundly shaken by negative events.
In her book, “The Power of Hope”, Carol Graham also asserted that hope is the most important measure of well-being, affecting one’s mental, physical, emotional, and economic health.
Buddhist philosopher and peace advocate Daisaku Ikeda was also an enthusiastic proponent of hope. A collection of his eloquent essays is titled; Hope is a Decision.
Clearly, we are all hopeful at various points in our lives, but are rarely consistently hopeful. I would suggest that hope is a habit that – like any good habit – needs to be practiced. This, of course, requires intention.
Personally, I believe this to be profound and made the decision to practice hope. My goal will be to consciously voice to myself and/or out loud a positive hope about whatever is in front of me. Starting with the news in the morning (admittedly a challenge!), I will try to carry on the practice throughout the day, and ideally, I’ll develop my “hope muscle” into a strong habit!
Want to join me? Please let me know of the practices that work for you!
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
~ Nelson Mandela
~ Tracey
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Fundamental of the Week #13: FIND A WAY
Look for how we can do it rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Take personal responsibility. Be innovative, assertive, and take initiative.
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