Hope: The Four-Letter Word That Builds a Remarkable Life
What Hope Really Means
Hope.
As kids, when things were uncertain, we hoped. We hoped we’d pass the test. We hoped our parents wouldn’t find out what we did wrong. Back then, hope was a desperate, last-ditch wish for the unlikely to happen.
That’s not hope.
The original Old English definition of hope is “having confidence in the future.” We are never confident when we’re overwhelmed with uncertainty. Hope is born from optimism, not desperation. It’s found in strength, not weakness. And hope is the prerequisite for a remarkable life.
Why Hope Matters
To live the life you want to live, you need to be confident about the future. And the surest way to be confident about the future is to create the future you want. To be confident, you need hope.
It’s no surprise that research has shown many benefits for those who are more hopeful.
Psychologist Charles Snyder and his colleagues conducted extensive research on the impact of hope and developed what they called hope theory, which revealed a strong link between hope and better performance and outcomes. Their research found that people with higher levels of hope had:
Stronger self-esteem and better relationships
Greater athletic and academic performance
Higher motivation and lower rates of anxiety
Better overall life satisfaction
Greater physical and mental well-being
Even more, they found that hopeful people try more things, take on bigger challenges, and try again after failing. They’re better able to overcome setbacks and possess three key characteristics:
Goals thinking — clarity about what they want to achieve.
Pathways thinking — the ability to develop strategies to reach those goals.
Agency thinking — the motivation to do the work necessary to achieve them.
How to Build More Hope in Your Life
If the benefits of hope are so great, how can you become more hopeful? Here are five ways to strengthen your sense of hope.
1. Ask More Questions
What do I want to achieve? Why does achieving this goal matter to me? What’s getting in my way? What can I do today to start moving toward it?
2. Explore More Options and Alternative Paths
Having choices matters. Despair takes root when we believe we have none. As Warren Bennis said, “The opposite of hope is despair, and when we despair, it is because we feel there are no choices.”
3. Limit Your Intake of Negative Information
The optimism required to sustain hope is hard to maintain amid constant negativity. News, by design, focuses on what’s wrong. Limit your exposure, and your hope will grow stronger.
4. Spend Time with Hopeful People
Hope is contagious. Spend more time with those who believe in what’s possible—and less with those who don’t.
5. Help Someone in Need
Giving increases your sense of purpose, and a greater sense of purpose boosts optimism and hope.
Start Building Hope Today
Hope isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you build.
Every choice you make today to shape your future, every step toward the life you imagine, strengthens your confidence in what’s ahead—and that’s where real hope begins.