Shane Lopez has been called the preeminent expert on hope. In his book Making Hope Happen: Create the Future You Want for Yourself and Others, he explores the anatomy of hope as he looks at what hopeful people have in common. In many ways this book is a self-help book about how to manufacture hope in yourself.
In keeping with my past Journey of Hope reviews, here are a few quotes:
“Hopeful people share key beliefs that underlie their approach to any challenge. These beliefs have a power that distinguishes hope from optimism, wishing, and other ways of viewing the future.”
“My message seems simple to me now, but it took me more than a decade to figure out: hope matters, hope is a choice, hope can be learned, hope can be shared with others.”
“The hopeful share core beliefs that set them apart from others. Two of them are: The future will be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so.”
“Hopeful people believe: there are many paths to my goals.”
Here’s where I appreciated the book. The author understands that some people, due to their circumstances, upbringing, or position in the world, simply do not see the paths available toward hope. Many do not have those paths. Thus they operate with minimal hope, which impacts their life decisions both small and large.
It’s a good look at the power of hope and the importance of hope, as it also shares how to create hope in our lives.
For more books on hope, check these out: