Behind the first book I will do this year that explores the personal and social nature of hope is an increasingly intense interest in what hope does and what inspires hope. In the early stages of this project, I'm wiling to argue that stories inspire hope. These are stories of overcoming obstacles, reaching new levels of achievement, stories of survival, transformation and breakthrough.
My sense of the significance of hope is that it is what energizes engagement where we work, learn and live. People with hope engage in even what seems unlikely or impossible. Reality is that people who have achieved the alleged impossible did so precisely because of the hope that energized them.
We need to build in time routinely so people inside and outside our group can share their stories and the stories of others that stir hope. It helps to also give people simple recipes for the best story telling possible.
