There is No Medicine Like Hope

By Daniel W. Trathen, D. Min. Ph. D.

In his book, Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl wrote that the "loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect on man." Winston Churchill is recorded as experiencing this sense of dimmed vision when he said, "I am an old man. I have lived a long time. I have never seen days like these. I am tired of it all. I see no hope for the future. Our problems are beyond us." Churchill was overcome with despair and had lost the confidence he once had which helped to attain victory in World War II. His goal had been completed and was not replaced with another. His despair was due to the fact that he had nothing to look forward to!

The experience of hope has several aspects. First is the mental component. Hopeful individuals are more optimistic in their thinking. When confronted with a happy or a difficult situation, they look for the "pros and cons". They tend to evaluate the situation in light of their personal or professional goals rather than "jumping to negative conclusions". They try to keep the issue in perspective and look for the "best" in every situation. In other words, they actively seek to view the problem through a positive lens and shape it into a solution. It is a well known belief that in order to maintain good mental health, a person always needs to have something to look forward to so they can concentrate on this situation or event when life becomes difficult.

Second is the emotional aspect. Hopeful individuals evaluate their feelings in light of their anticipated outcome. They have assurance regarding the ability, strength, or genuineness of someone or something. This is not a state of denial, but rather the process of refocusing emotions so they don’t get too far off track. It is common knowledge that when optimism and hopefulness are conveyed people feel better sooner. When they believe in another person's hope and optimism they become more confident that things will work out for the best. This feeling of positive anticipation is a key ingredient of hope.

Third is trust or having confidence in our beliefs. For example, many have confidence in their abilities to overcome life’s adversities. Others may have a faith in God and therefore are hopeful not only in the outcome, but also in life. Still others may have hope in another person’s abilities to succeed. In other words, everyone has chosen a belief in someone or something. Trusting in beliefs becomes the foundation of hope, which gives stability to thoughts and emotions. Orison Marden summarized it when he wrote, "There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow."