By: Danielle Palli
Growing up, I hated my middle name … Hope. My friends all had normal middle names. Sensible names like Ann and Marie. Mine felt odd, somehow. It wasn’t until decades later that I would come to appreciate the value of “Hope,” and why it turned out to be such an important word for me.
According to Greek mythology, after Pandora opened her box, unleashing all of the world’s troubles: sickness, death, greed, anger, war, poverty, and hate, hope was all that remained. It has since been included in the ten positive emotions that Positive Psychologists associate with happiness.
But it’s an oddity because it is also the only emotion born out of unhappiness. While closely aligned with optimism, there are a few distinct differences. Whereas optimism is a general belief that good things will happen, its half-full lens of life – while helpful – doesn’t carry the same action-based values that hope does. Hope looks at the reality of a situation – what could happen, and then adds that layer of belief that a positive outcome can be achieved with a little bit of work.
Hope is action-based.
According to well-known hope researcher Charles R. Snyder, Ph.D., hope involves setting goals, forming a strategy to achieve those goals, and maintaining the motivation to keep going despite obstacles, adapting those strategies along the way. It takes the wishful-thinking of optimism and employs actionable steps around it.
The benefits of a hope-filled life are enormous. People with high levels of hope have been shown to be physically and mentally healthier, happier, more optimistic, and more grounded in the face of adversity. They are more confident and typically enjoy healthier relationships. Other facets of a hope-filled person include: greater flexibility when problem-solving, less anxiety, and a greater likelihood of viewing a challenge as a growth opportunity vs. a threat. Hopeful people are also reported to have deep meaning and purpose in their lives.
Now, as a Positive Psychology-based coach, who views hope as the cornerstone of happiness, I have to give my long-overdue apologies to my mother, who noticed something in me long before I recognized it in myself.