As someone who regularly geeks out over human psychology, I can’t believe I have never heard of the Hope Circuit before! I’ve always been a big proponent in the power of personal choice in building up our resilience, and this is fascinating (and honestly quite uplifting) research. Sure, it could be a little depressing to think that helplessness is our default, but how incredible it is that our brains are so willing to learn and shift to orient us towards hope. Small changes can lead to massive shifts in perspective!
One small way that I’ve learned to activate my Hope Circuit is by taking thoughtful ownership of my time. Saying yes to the things that truly matter, and confidently saying no to those that don’t align with my values. It’s a small habit, but as someone who spent a good chunk of my life saying yes to everything all the time, it’s been incredibly refreshing to watch how much my nervous system is able to relax when I realize I’ve got my own back. Thanks for a thoughtful read!
That's a great example, Sophia! Saying no to something that's not one of your priorities for the day (or week, or month) is a way of re-claiming an internal locus of control.
As someone who regularly geeks out over human psychology, I can’t believe I have never heard of the Hope Circuit before! I’ve always been a big proponent in the power of personal choice in building up our resilience, and this is fascinating (and honestly quite uplifting) research. Sure, it could be a little depressing to think that helplessness is our default, but how incredible it is that our brains are so willing to learn and shift to orient us towards hope. Small changes can lead to massive shifts in perspective!
One small way that I’ve learned to activate my Hope Circuit is by taking thoughtful ownership of my time. Saying yes to the things that truly matter, and confidently saying no to those that don’t align with my values. It’s a small habit, but as someone who spent a good chunk of my life saying yes to everything all the time, it’s been incredibly refreshing to watch how much my nervous system is able to relax when I realize I’ve got my own back. Thanks for a thoughtful read!
That's a great example, Sophia! Saying no to something that's not one of your priorities for the day (or week, or month) is a way of re-claiming an internal locus of control.
I promised to add a link to the article on Future Media once it went live. Here it is: https://rickysutton.substack.com/p/a-tech-billionaire-a-closed-beach
Now, dear readers, what's one small thing you've done in the last week that helped you realize that what you do in real life matters?