Hope is a Practice EP 329

Hope is a Practice EP 329

From Your Daily Dose of Hope by Phyllis Nichols,, SoundAdvice Strategies

April 30, 2026 · 3 min · Season 2 · Episode 330

About this episode

The episode discusses hope as a practice and a choice that strengthens over time, emphasizing the importance of forward-looking thinking.

Good morning or good afternoon, or good whatever-time-it-is-when-you-need-a-little-lift. Hope, real hope, not the passive, fingers crossed kind, but the kind that keeps us moving forward is a practice. Here's what I've come to understand: hope is not a feeling that shows up when things are good. Hope is a choice you make, especially when things are hard. It's a muscle. And like any muscle, it gets stronger the more you use it. Psychologist Charles Snyder, who spent decades studying hope, found that hopeful people share two things: they believe better things are possible, and they actively think about how to get there. It's not wishful thinking, it's directional thinking. It's saying, "I don't know exactly how, but I believe there's a way." That distinction matters. Hope isn't waiting for good news. Hope is deciding to keep looking for the path, even when you can't see the whole trail yet. It’s taking the next step knowing that in the action, the doing, is how hope works and how we change what our tomorrow will be. So here's a tiny practice I love. At the end of the day, or right now, if you want, think of one thing you're looking forward to. It doesn't have to be big. A…

People in this episode

Host: Phyllis Nichols

Topics covered

  • hope
  • mental health
  • personal growth
  • resilience
  • positive thinking

Keywords

  • hope
  • practice
  • psychology
  • resilience
  • mental health
  • personal development
  • forward-looking

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