Have you ever wondered if we can manufacture hope by changing the way we think? And what is it that we would change to generate more hope?
These aren’t necessarily the questions C.R. Snyder asks in his book Psychology of Hope: You Can Get Here from There
Snyder finds very hopeful people and analyzes what makes them the way they are. The results are intriguing. As with all my Journey of Hope reviews, I’ll quote a few things I found especially interesting:
“…hope involves the perception that one’s goals can be met.”
“Willpower also should be ignited more easily when we can clearly understand and represent a goal in our minds.”
“Hope = mental willpower + waypower for goals.”
“Among religious people, higher hope is related to prayer … In other words, prayer is a means of increasing one’s mental energy or willpower.”
“Some teachers are able to create an atmosphere where hope is so apparent you almost can touch it in their interactions with students.”
Get the idea? It’s very practical insights that help us see how hope is a product of certain mental and other disciplines. Snyder doesn’t just leave it at that of course — his insights on what he calls waypower, or the ability to actually create a path toward a goal, are excellent. Not all people are given that path or have the means to create one. Overall his book is very positive and helpful.
For more books on hope, check these out:
Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands
