Cr Snyder Quotes

Hope is the sum of the mental willpower and waypower that you have for your goals.

Or, in the intriguing words of existential philosopher Gabriel Marcel, hope is “a piercing through time … a kind of memory of the future.

This simple idea—anchoring hope to a concrete goal—provided a starting point in my model of hope.6 In this venture, I join recent social scientists who suggest that hope involves the perception that one’s goals can be met.

According to the research of C. R. Snyder, hope isn’t a warm and fuzzy feeling; he actually defines it as a cognitive emotional process that has three parts. This is a process that most of us, if we’re lucky, are taught growing up, though it can be learned at any time: The three parts are goal, pathway, and agency. We can identify a realistic goal (I know where I want to go), and then we can figure out the pathway to get there, even if it’s not a straight line and involves a Plan B and scrappiness (I know I can get there because I’m persistent and I will keep trying in the face of setbacks and disappointment). Agency is belief in our ability to stay on that path until we’ve arrived (I know I can do this). Again, while a cynic might argue that someone who clings to hope is a sucker, or ridiculously earnest, this type of armor typically comes from pain. Often, people’s cynicism is related to despair. As the theologian Rob Bell explains, “Despair is the belief that tomorrow will be just like today.” That is a devastating line. The problem with cynicism and sarcasm is that they are typically system- and culturewide—it’s just so easy to take shots at other people. As brave leaders, it is essential not to reward or allow it. Reward clarity and kindness and real conversation, and teach hope instead.

Simply put, hope reflects a mental set in which we have the perceived willpower and the waypower to get to our destination.

In the words of one high-hope individual, “All the steps involved in getting there are as much fun as actually finishing a project.” Consistent with this sentiment, I have found that high-hope people are quite patient with experiencing the course of unfolding events.

There I met my granddaughter for the first time. As I held her, I wanted to give her a gift. Surely I could come up with something very special for my first grandchild. Not the usual stuffed animals and outfits, but something she could use for the rest of her life. She should get a lasting gift from her grandfather. It came to me that I’d like to give her hope.

This lesson happened to be in the context of fishing, but the basic high-hope message was the same across situations: Set clear goals and then get energized about ways to reach those objectives.