Hope is the belief that the future will be better and you have the power to make it so. It has been shown to be the most powerful predictor of youth well being and it can be built and strengthened in all youth and adults.

Hope is based on three main ideas: setting desirable goals, finding multiple pathways to reach those goals, and having the agency or motivation to pursue those goals.  Hope is not a wish, but an plan of action.

GOALS

Goals represent the cornerstone of hope theory as the endpoint for what you do, how you act. Goals that motivate behavior can exist in the short- or long-term, and meet these criteria: 1) potentially attainable, 2) clearly articulated, and 3) measurable. The actions you take are based on the capacity to identify one or more viable pathways to reach your goals.

PATHWAYS

Pathways represent a mental road map and considers multiple strategies that will lead to the desired outcome. Viable pathways are within the person’s capacity to pursue and are developed as part of a plan of success. Hopeful people can identify potential barriers and workable solutions. They develop the capacity to shift to alternative pathways when needed. Hopeful people generate multiple pathways toward their goal pursuits. People with lower hope have difficulty managing barriers and finding alternative pathways.

AGENCY

Agency is the motivation for achieving your goals. It is the capacity to exert the mental energy needed to the pursuit an identified way to achieve your goals. Hopeful individuals are able to exhibit self-control, regulating beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors during goal pursuits, especially while experiencing stress and adversity.

The good news is hope can be taught and built so that well-being can be improved. Click here for a TED talk on the Science of Hope.

For more information about what is happening locally, contact info@bbb-thrives.org