Tim Walsh, M.A.L.P. DPA, Executive Director of Beauterre, shares practical insights in his latest guest column for the Southern Minnesota Press.
In this present moment, a practical guide to cultivating hopefulness feels particularly relevant. Many factors are currently weighing heavily on people’s state of mind, making it more challenging to maintain hope. These include global economic uncertainties, ongoing wars and geopolitical tensions, and shifts in our societal culture, all of which can contribute to a persistent sense of unease about the future. We tend to experience less hope and more despair when we perceive a lack of influence or control over our circumstances, when challenges feel pervasive – as if everything is going wrong simultaneously – when we imagine no possibility for positive change or an end in sight, or when we internalize these difficulties as a personal failing.
Drawing from my nearly 40 years of counseling individuals within the justice, mental health, human service, and addiction treatment systems, I have been consistently driven by the mission of being an agent of hope. My career goal has been not only to instill hope but also to model and teach the essential skills for those I serve to become hopeful themselves. A crucial first step in becoming an agent of hope is developing the skill of receiving it. In other words, I have to practice what I preach.
Hope is a powerful gift that is both given and received. It is a faith in or expectancy of positive outcomes in the future, even amidst challenging or uncertain circumstances. A significant body of research provides evidence that individuals who consistently score high on measures of hopefulness or optimism tend to: experience greater happiness and life satisfaction; possess better coping skills and resilience in the face of adversity; persevere and demonstrate “grit” with higher motivation to act toward their goals, leading to greater achievement; maintain better mental and physical health; and report healthier relationships and even live longer.
The conscious or unconscious mind will ultimately reject any “hopeful” messages that we perceive as unrealistic, improbable, or not personally applicable. The skill of hopefulness is not rooted in fantasy or wishful thinking. While it involves a positive perspective, it is not simply the power of positive thinking magically conjuring a good outcome. Hope is not about superstitious thinking; rather, it involves what is called “agency” – the belief in one’s capacity to achieve what is hoped for, the motivation to pursue it, and the identification of viable pathways to realize a dream, goal, or vision. Agency also involves the ability to ask for help and support when we need it.
Hope-filled individuals maintain a mindset that they possess the power to shape a better future. They feel excited about at least one aspect of their future and allow this anticipation to drive them forward. They actively engage in research, seek counsel from trusted friends and loved ones, and draw upon the wisdom of their past experiences to envision paths toward their goals. They identify the barriers to achieving these goals but proactively problem-solve to remove or resolve them. Their underlying attitude is one of resilience: they believe they can effectively deal with obstacles and that their past and present circumstances do not dictate their future.
The skill of receiving hope involves the daily and moment-by-moment practice of serenity, which entails cultivating the courage to change what can be changed, accepting what cannot be changed, and developing the wisdom to discern the difference. When we reflect on serenity, we recognize the many aspects of our internal and external lives that are within our influence or control: our motivational factors, situational responses, our thoughts, knowledge, and attitudes, the way we manage our emotions, our behavioral choices, our relationships and the improvement of relational patterns, the gradual formation of our character, our personal life story or narrative, and our sense of identity.
Receiving hope involves spiritual disciplines or psychological practices that facilitate internalization. To internalize the hope-filled mindsets described above is a conscious process of integrating them into our values, life principles, and beliefs. We also need to actively challenge negative thought patterns and intentionally replace them with more constructive ones. Furthermore, we must choose to seek out and savor the glimmers of hope in our world, even amid difficulties. This might involve connecting with the sources of inspiration in our lives, such as supportive people, our recovery journey, social or faith communities, or recalling successes from the past. Practicing the “attitude of gratitude” or thankfulness throughout the day trains our mind to recognize the positive in people and in circumstances. After we have skillfully received hope, we are equipped to give it away as agents of hope!
