Grit and Meaning

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

When I think about the concepts I’m learning in class, I linger a lot on the ones found in positive psychology. Concepts like Frankl’s logotherapy or Seligman’s development of well-being have taken me on a whirlwind journey these last five weeks.

One theory that keeps appearing in my courses is Angela Duckworth’s work on developing grit, and how hope and courage act as two foundational points to start from, and continue. I was asked recently how I might define hope (asking in the context of how it might be conceptualized or reframed in a clinical setting), and I came up with this:

Hope is the positive affect of possibility.

To be honest, I pulled a lot of inspiration for this interpretation from… of all things, unicorns: the beasts of possibility (my mind went to Gundam Unicorn for some reason).

Anyway, I hope to learn more interesting concepts in the courses to come, and maybe start up a podcast on what I’ve gleaned (like an amateur version of the APA podcast). Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Also, I’ve started work on Chapter 20 in Garland of Stars, which means… the book is quickly approaching the halfway point! Looking forward to posting the next update!