The Reinforcing Behaviors of Hope and Optimism

Hope arises when one sees a way out of a perceived hopeless circumstance. It allows one to escape the feelings of powerlessness and the sense of being trapped. But before hope can happen, one must accept the situation.

To resist the fact of one's current predicament only reinforces the sense of hopelessness and despair. But acceptance can also be an obstacle to hope, if in accepting the hopeless situation, one gives into despair and thoughts of suicide.

Despair and hope are both powerful emotions. But they must be tempered by reason. Despair says I can't do anything, hope replies but maybe I can. It's a choice and one has the power to choose whether to despair or hope. Hope implies a realistic set of expectations that can be met once a plan is put in motion. Once thinking and planning begins, hope grows. Any setbacks are just momentary delays in plans.

Once the foundation of hope has been established, optimism kicks in. Optimism is a by-product of the active state of hoping. It is a natural consequence of plans set in motion. Optimism without hope is an attitude without any merit, other than the optimist's assertion things will turn out for the best. Hope's willpower creates optimism, an attitude which maintains hope as plans are acted on until the desired goal is reached.

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