Week 147: What actually is "Hope"? And how can we have more of it?
19 March 2025

Week 147: What actually is "Hope"? And how can we have more of it?

Wellness Podcast

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In this episode, I define "hope" using Brene Brown's definition from Atlas of the Heart: Hope is a way of thinking or a cognitive process, not an emotion, that's made up of three components: goals, pathways and agency. I give an example of my own: my goal is to keep promoting what I want to see more of in the world: kindness, compassion, understanding, and strength that is not about having power Over people but about using our power to help each other (also from Brene Brown: Power To/With and Within). My pathways (action items) are in my job, promoting our Spanish club, SALSA, planning events in my department, helping out my students, and at home, helping my kids to learn how to deal with their emotions, how to meditate, etc., by showing them how I do it and teaching them. And for me, agency (the fuel I need to do this work and not burn out) comes to me through all the things I talk about here all the time: dancing in my kitchen and writing in my journal and coffee with friends and meditation and hugging my family and Friday night movie night. Action item: think about where you can help to create more “hope” in the world, through goals/pathways and agency.