Positive Psychology identifies five character strengths that are most related to happiness:
ZEST | CURIOSITY | HOPE| GRATITUDE | LOVE
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” Langston Hughes, poet.
Hope is a character strength amongst others that is corralled under the virtue of ‘Transcendence’ by the VIA Institute on Character. I don’t know about you, but the idea of connecting to the larger universe grabs my attention. The recommendation is employing the ‘best possible self’ exercise. First, you engage in the pleasant task of envisioning your optimal self in the future, within realistic bounds of success. Next, you identify your character strengths needed to transform that vision into reality. Then, you draw upon those strengths and act upon them. Voila! You are reaching for the realistic dream, believing it will happen. You are experiencing hope.
The beauty of this scenario is that it elegantly discards the vague concept of wishful thinking that floats aimlessly like a forlorn balloon in the sky, instead it symbolizes the resplendent hot air balloon that goes up purposefully, stays up as long as needed and lands when it is time. Hope is grounded in reality. I find that pragmatic and attractive.
Hoping for the moon is unrealistic. Hoping to become an astronaut and flying to the moon is realistic. Notice here the shift in locus of control. In the first scenario the locus of control is external; you hope the moon will come to you: impossible. In the second scenario the locus of control is internal; you hope to go to the moon: possible. “I hope the exam is easy” places power in outside forces, whereas “I hope to do well on the exam” reclaims your own power. You will find yourself stretching past the routine and the familiar to study better before the exam and to apply yourself diligently during the exam. All along you will be with this buoyant feeling of hope, displacing doubt and fear. It is seeing the glass half full and rejoicing in its fullness, yes. It is also going a step further, if so desired. It is resolving to keep it half full or even working to fill it if possible, having faith in your ability to do it. Hope refers to optimism and has a future orientation. Hope spurs us into action.
One week I decided to mindfully draw upon my character strength of ‘hope’. I made a conscious decision to hope for something and found myself drawn to reach forward and stretch spontaneously to make it happen, all along delighting in the joy that gurgled up. The small hopes grew larger as the week transpired. It was quite addicting. Hope made me happy.
Psychologist and educator, Martin Seligman writes about ‘Learned Optimism’. So, good news folks, we do not have to be born with the ‘optimism’ gene. 
Slough off the excuses, please. We can learn to interpret events as positive. We can learn to believe we have the motivation and power to build on that positivity. We can learn to stay grounded in reality throughout the process. The key words to remember are interpretation, motivation and personal agency (power to act). Hope is a priceless gift you give yourself. ~ Sushama Kirtikar, August 2014.
