Mind & Body
The Power of
Hope by Erin Kelly
There’s a singular product that can help you overcome anything: Hope. According to Dr. Dale Archer, founder of the Institute for Neuropsychiatry, hope is often “the only thing between man and the abyss.” As long as a person has hope, they can recover and survive just about anything. If your goal is to embrace 2014 with a better, healthier attitude, you may want to consider the role that hope does or doesn’t play in your current life. “Hope is an emotion that springs from the heart, not the brain,” adds Dr. Archer, author of the New York Times bestselling book Better Than Normal. “Hope lays dormant until it’s beckoned, supplying a sheer belief that you will overcome, persevere and endure anything and everything that comes your way.” Hope comes in many forms and faces, Dr. Archer says. It isn’t the belief that things will go exactly as planned or that all will end perfectly—after all, life is unpredictable and full of curve balls. Instead, it’s an enduring belief that things will get better. “It’s the belief that at age 55, after a disaster where you’ve lost your home, car and possessions—everything material—that you still have your health and family, and that you can and you will start over. It’s the steadfast determination of the cancer patient who fights, believing that eventually a cure will come. It’s the man who has lost his job, has a family to support and knows that new employment is just around the corner as long as he keeps looking.” Hope, Dr. Archer says, is the championing trait of a true survivor. After working with victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Dr. Archer noticed that most people fell into one of two camps: psychological victims or psychological survivors. Victims tended toward the pessimistic and passive. Survivors were more active, optimistic, forward-thinking and hopeful, even when grieving. What do the hopeful survivors have that the psychological victims don’t? According to Dr. Archer, it comes down to a few things:
people who have their sights on something bigger and more important than themselves are typically powered by hope, because they believe they have a greater cause.” Gratitude. Survivors are thankful for what they have, rather than focused on what they don’t. “To tap into our inner hope, we have to remind ourselves every day of the things we should be grateful for. It’s easy to focus on what we don’t have, but it’s far more helpful and productive to focus on what we do.” Love. Love is another compelling factor that propels hope, Dr. Archer adds. “Think about the people in your life that you love and those that love you—family and friends. Make it a point to connect often with each and every one. This is best accomplished in person, but as we know that is not always possible. A phone call, text or a quick email will do,” Dr. Archer says. When you go through times of stress and pain, “know without a doubt that this, too, shall pass,” Dr. Archer says. “Then you have hope. And often, that alone is enough to make all the difference.”
Faith. “I’ve found that hope comes from many different places,” Dr. Archer says. “For some, it’s faith—a belief in something greater. Whether it’s God, a higher power, a child, cause or mission, 74 www.thriveswla.com
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
December 2013