Hope is the sum of the mental willpower and waypower that you have for your goals. It therefore has three basic mental components, namely goals, willpower and waypower - see the mind map below. Each of the three components will be defined below. High-hope people have certain characteristics and these will also be listed.
Components of Hope
Goals are any objects, experiences, or outcomes that we imagine and desire in our minds - a goal is therefore something we want to obtain (such as an object) or attain (like an accomplishment).
Willpower is the driving force in hopeful thinking. Willpower is a reservoir of determination and commitment that we can call on to help move us in the direction of the goal to which we are attending at any given moment. It is made up of thoughts such as I can, I'll try, I'm ready to do this, and I've got what it takes.
Willpower is more easily ignited when we can clearly understand and represent a goal in our minds. Vague goals, therefore, do not provide the mental spark to get us moving. Once people clarify their goals, they often are filled with active and empowering thoughts.
Waypower reflects the mental plans or road maps that guide hopeful thought. Waypower is a mental capacity we can call on to find one or more effective ways to reach our goals. The perception that one can engage in planful thought is therefore essential for waypower thinking.
Hope = Mental Willpower + Waypower for Goals.
Hope reflects a mental set in which we have the perceived willpower and waypower to get to our destination. If a person does not have both the willpower and waypower for goals, there cannot be high hope. Neither willpower nor waypower alone is sufficient to produce high hope.
Research indicates that the protypical high-hope person appears to exhibiy optimism, perceptions of control over one's life, perceived problem-solving ability, a preference for competition (but not winning itself), high self-esteem, and positive affectivity. Additionally high-hope persons are not as likely as low-hope persons to manifest negative affectivity (including hostility, fear and guilt), anxiety and depression. The following mind map summarizes the characteristics of high-hope people.
Characteristics of the Hopeful
A statistical examination of more than one hundred hope studies by Shane J Lopez, author of the book "Making Hope Happen", and his his collegues revealed that other conditions being equal hope leads to a 12 percent gain in academic performance, a 14 percent bump in workplace outcomes and a 10 percent happiness boost for hopeful people. A group of typical high-hope students therefore scores a letter grade better on a final exam than their low-hope peers, a group of high-hope salespeople therefore sells as much product in six days than their low-hope colleagues do in seven days, and high-hope people are therefore just plain happier than their low-hope friends.
This "Inspire-U-2" module is available to boost your inspirational levels for hope and help you cultivate an awareness of hope: Inspire-U-2-Hope.