For Those Who Feel Forgotten
Hope is the life force that keeps us going and gives us something to live for. Hope is a crucial part of dealing with life’s problems and maintaining resilience is the face of obstacles. Even a glimmer of hope that our situation will turn around can keep us going. Though, when we begin to lose hope, things can seem bleak. When we run into constant resistance and are prevented from reaching our goals we can start to feel like there is nothing to live for. If we can’t get to where we want to be and don’t feel in control of our life, what’s the point? If you or someone else is feeling apathetic and are tired of running the rat race of life you may be starting to lose hope. In order to open up new and fulfilling possibilities for your future, you may need to nurture hope. On the next page is an adaptation from the book, The Psychology of Hope by C.R. Snyder, a late and great pioneer in the field of positive psychology. How we lose hope •Lacking hope from the beginning – If we experienced neglect and were never nourished as a child, we may never have developed a healthy level of hopeful thinking. We might not have confidence and resilience set in place, and simply struggle when things prevent us from achieving our goals. •Loss of connections – When we experience loss over time we can start to feel hopeless. Loss can come from divorce, death, and change. We can also experience loss of intangibles like a job or other important aspects of our identity. When we hold on and wallow in our grief from these loses hopelessness can set in. •Victimization – When we are abused and belittled we can start to believe that is how life is supposed to be. We can begin to feel that we don’t have any control over what happens to us and that bad things will always occur. This can relate to unfair treatment from prejudice and discrimination. •Burnout – If we don’t take care of ourselves we can get exhausted and overwhelmed to a point where life seems to run over us. We no longer feel able to manage our responsibilities and develop a negative and cynical view of the world and others. Burnout can lead us to feel defeated.
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