The Hope Quotient {Review}

*I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program.

Emily Dickinson said: Hope is the thing with feathers. The dictionary defines hope as to want something to happen or be true and think that it could happen or be true. Ray Johnston says in his book, The Hope Quotient, hope is  the heart of every thriving person, marriage, kid and business. In this book, he teaches readers how to measure hope and how to increase the level of hope in your life.

Without hope, things (people, relationships, dreams, etc) tend to shrivel or waste away to nothing. And what’s left is worse than what was originally there to begin with. I think hope and faith go hand in hand. How can you have faith in something without also hoping for it?

This book, The Hope Quotient, discusses how seven factors will “support, sustain and strengthen your hope”. And once you become aware of them, and use them to build your life, how everything will change and bloom with this new foundation and way of thinking.

The seven factors he identifies are:

Factor 1: Recharge Your Batteries. Nobody does well running on empty.

Factor 2: Raise Your Expectations. You don’t get what you deserve; you get what you expect.

Factor 3: Refocus on the Future. It’s time to throw away your rearview mirror. No one goes forward well when they are looking back.

Factor 4: Play to Your Strengths. Be yourself; everyone else is taken.

Factor 5: Refuse to Go It Alone. Never underestimate the power of support. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.

Factor 6: Replace Burnout with Balance. Burning the candle at both ends isn’t as bright as you think.

Factor 7: Play Great Defense. Avoid these five toxic hope killers that can threaten your future.

This book is wonderful read by yourself, but I think the effects could be easily multiplied if shared with your spouse or in a small group setting. I also thought it was written in an “easy to understand” way that doesn’t try to trip a reader up. My favorite part of the book were the relatable “real” stories he used to demonstrate a point. I found myself nodding several times, thinking either he could be writing about me personally or someone in my family.

I’m thankful I was able to review this book as it couldn’t have come at a better moment in my life. Hope does change everything, from the moment your eyes open in the morning to when you’re trying to settle in for a night of rest. “Hope is the thing with feathers” that doesn’t ask for anything in return.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”