Spring Semester Invites the Spirit of Hope

As we embark upon spring semester, let us remember the power of hope, as embodied in the dormant blossoms that will open their petals as soon as the season and warm weather allow. 

Particularly during this challenging time, we need a valuable tool to uplift our spirits and motivate our minds. We could view hope as a passive, elusive state of being, in which we might have positive expectations or beliefs in a bright future, depending upon our mood or magical chance. Rather, let us view hope from an active, goal-seeking perspective, thus uplifting our inner world and future prospects in a practical way. We have the power to activate it consciously.

Research and subsequent theories in this realm support our capacity to do so. The three key components of Snyder’s Hope Theory as expanded by Snyder, Irving and Anderson (1991) are 1) having focused goals, 2) creating clear strategies, or pathways toward reaching those goals, and 3) initiating action as well as sustaining motivation to persevere (even when facing adversity).  

Having others in our lives who encourage us to keep hope alive and who cheer us on when we feel discouraged is wonderful. Yet there are times when we need to muster up hope on our own. How can we do this?

There are many ways to activate this state of mind. Since the light of hope allows us to see multiple possibilities, one way to do this is by writing these out, by keeping a hope journal. One can start by simply grabbing a notepad and freely brainstorming potential solutions to our problems or ways to remove roadblocks, like adding kindling wood to spark ideas that can awaken hope and allow release.

Keeping a journal fosters self-reflection and overall wellness in addition to hope (Crain & Koehn, 2012).  When writing about challenges in our lives, we often recognize internal factors or patterns that could hinder a hopeful attitude. Once we bring these to our awareness, we can then take action to change negative thinking patterns or habitual loops that might reduce positive emotions, suppress hope and lower motivation.

For motivation, budding scholars should keep in mind recent research that reveals a link between hope and academic achievement. For example, one longitudinal study found that levels of hope positively correlated with grade outcomes in first-year law students (Rand, Martin & Shea, 2011). This might encourage you to summon up your sleeping hope as homework piles up and tests loom ahead! 

May you have the hope and determination to generate a pleasant, successful semester. 
 
References

Crain, M., & Koehn, C. (2012). The essence of hope in domestic violence support work: A hermeneutic-phenomenological inquiry. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 34(2),170-188.

Rand, K.L., Martin, A.D. & Shea, A.M. (2011). Hope, but not optimism, predicts academic performance of law students beyond previous academic achievement. Journal of Research in Personality, 45(6), 683-686.

Snyder, C. R., Irving, L., & Anderson, J. R. (1991). Hope and health: Measuring the will and the  ways. In C. R. Snyder, & D. R. Forsyth (Eds.), Handbook of social and clinical psychology: The health perspective (pp. 285-305). Elmsford, NY: Pergamon Press.