Is it just optimism?
This month I’ve been thinking about the meaning of ‘hope’.
People often think of hope as a fairly passive thing, no more than an optimistic state of mind: we hope an interview goes well when we apply for a job, we hope it doesn’t rain on the day of a major outdoor event. Sometimes hope is no more than a throw-away line, offered with little thought – ‘hope you are well / had a good holiday / like the gift…’. If we do take action, it’s in a superstitious way: making a secret wish as we blow out the candles, crossing our fingers for luck to be doubly sure. Hoping that by not treading on cracks the devils will stay sleeping and nothing bad will happen.
But when you look at the dictionary definitions it implies something more active. As a noun, it is a confident desire for something; as a verb, it means to look forward to with anticipation. Hope is an optimistic state of mind, desire, or expectation that positive outcomes will occur, even in difficult circumstances. The opposite to hope is despair, doubt and pessimism. Hope helps people to manage stress, deal with set backs and persevere when things are tough. To misquote the saying: the pessimist sees the glass as half empty, the optimist sees it as half full while the hopeful person believes there might be more in the bottle!
When I studied for my psychotherapy qualifications, it was a surprise to find that psychologist define hope as a more active process of ‘goal directed motivation’. ‘Hope Theory’ suggests that hope is not just an emotion but also requires thought about possible pathways, and the willpower to get there. In summary, psychologists think there should be a goal you desire and believe is achievable, ideas on possible ways to achieve it and the willpower to do so.
Currently I remain hopeful. This month I had the exciting news that my third novel, ‘The Expert Witness’, has been short-listed for the Noose Award for Best Crime/Thriller Novel. Obviously, I hope to win, just as I’m sure the other three short-listed authors do. The winner will be announced at the Sykehouse Film and Writers Festival Gala Awards dinner on 17th May 2026. Hopefully, I will have some good news to announce next month, but if not, I will toast the winner and enjoy the celebrations!
Coming Up Next Month
Aside from the daytime Ska Disco in Colchester for which I’m digging out my two-tone outfit, there are some great writing events in my diary.
Sunday 10th May 2026 I’m running the next Writing Workshop at Sudbury Arts Centre. This one’s on Planning Your Novel. Limited places so if you’re interested book your ticket now.
Saturday 16th May 2026 There’s the next meeting of the writing group at Sudbury Arts.
Sunday 31st May 2026, 10am to 3pm sees the third Anglian Authors Book Fair at Sudbury Arts Centre. Free entry to meet 18 Anglian authors, listen to panel discussions and readings and buy books.