Why do some people suffer real hardships and not falter? How could hope last through the darkest times, like cancer attacks or concentration camps? Recently in this project, Stories of Hope, we are learning the concept of adversity, survivorship, resilience, hope and their relations with each other. In this post, I will answer the most fundamental questions of the entire project: what is a story of hope?
Key Terms — Oversimplified
Adversity
- Difficulties and misfortune, often times greater and more severe, or even life threatening
Survival
- State or fact continuing to live and exist, often after a life threatening adversity or trauma. Survival itself may or may not require resilience as luck plays a role as well.
Resilience:
- Resilience is a reflex, a way of facing and understanding the world, that is deeply etched into a person’s mind and soul. Resilience can be seen through one’s interactions with the environment, especially under harsh conditions.
Hope
- An optimistic feeling that the best has yet to come. It is an open sense of possibility and willingness to work things out while seeing / facing the reality.
Summarizing from Stories and Experiences
(Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist Dr Viktor Frankl (1905 – 1997) attends the 6th International Congress of Psychotherapy in London, UK, August 1964. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Reading through different stories, I found Victor Frankl’s life fascinating. Although he’s best known as a survivor of the concert camps, that couldn’t define his life or character. Coming out of the centers, he published “Man’s Search of Meaning,” which stunned the field of psychology and impacted plenty of people. His writings are evidence of his resilience at work, withstanding and overcoming such severe adversities and growing and benefiting from them. He suffered terrible losses from WWII, losing almost all family members and friends; however, it is without a doubt that the struggles and painful experiences forced him to grow and become a better person
Another example that comes to mind is Terry Fox, a Canadian athlete diagnosed with bone cancer at 18. Despite having his leg amputated, he continued to train and ultimately embarked on a cross-country run to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. His legacy lives on in the annual Terry Fox Run and his foundation, which has raised over $750 million for cancer research. His unwavering hope and determination in the face of adversity have inspired countless people worldwide, and his story serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.
(Image Source)
Conclusion
In both cases, it isn’t abnormal for someone to surrender to adversity and admit fate as a default result. It is, without a doubt, much easier to ignore hardships and difficulties than to face reality at its core. One with hope and resilience, on the other hand, embrace and face the pain up close for them to take action and bounce back (the word resilience initially came from the idea of bounce back)
So, what is a story of hope? Beyond luck and survivorship, a story of hope is resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. This narrative shows how individuals can overcome seemingly impossible challenges and emerge more robust and determined. These stories inspire us to hold onto hope even in the darkest times and remind us of the incredible power of the human spirit. They serve as a beacon of light in a world that often feels dark and overwhelming and give us the courage to keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles come our way.
A Bigger Picture
As mentioned, this is only the start of our journey of learning and sharing the stories of hope. This keystone of the project, the first and perhaps most essential, laid the foundation and helped us define and clarify abstract ideas like hope and resilience. Before answering the driving question, what can we learn from hopeful stories? We must first understand what a hopeful story is, and that’s the purpose of Keystone 1.