Hope Lived in Multiple Intelligences

Check out the NPR story to hear of a man who looked for hope and found it in abundance for sick people who had lost theirs. Do you hold hope in tough times? Research shows how hope lives within more areas of the human brain than once recognized.

No question, it takes focus to spot hope for our lives, as you’ll see answers given by Dr. Groopman. While he admits to both mistakes and successes, Groopman shows the power people have to motivate or crush hope. In his own words:

“Hope does not cast a veil over perception and thought. In this way, it is different from blind optimism: It brings reality into sharp focus.”

Hope fuels Dr. Howard Gardner’s Intrapersonal intelligence and yet it can be triggered daily by other unique intelligences too.

How so?

Intrapersonal intelligence stirs hope through meditation, reflection on growth possibilities. Think of it as an inward turn toward growth in that relaxed mental setting that draws from hope’s deeper pools. Like eagles beat the winds of the upper air,  introspective intelligence elevates our minds over panic, past anxiety, and  high over common fears. Amazingly, factors of dread tend to fade when intrapersonal activities increase thickness in the cerebral cortex, especially in areas of attention and sensation. Reconnect neurons of well-being, and you’ll add to the number of support cells in that domain,  and expand blood vessels for hope too.

Musical intelligence triggers hope through increasing sensitivity of the brain stem to the sounds of wonder. Activate your brain’s reward centers and depress hopeless concerns in the amygdala through music that reduces fear and eliminates other negative emotions.

Bodily kinesthetic intelligence stokes hope through increasing neurons in your hippocampus – where you call up trusted facts to improve your brain’s executive functions. Movement enables you to plan and organize far better results. It also boosts moods to lift your expectations, and it improves neuron survival well past those golden years.

In much the same way:

Linguistic intelligence compels us to question and to live insights experts write or speak concerning hope.

Interpersonal intelligence inspires us to spend time with and learn from those who express hopeful ways to live.

Naturalistic intelligence draws out hope in human brains, through its many rejuvenated colors and textures.

Mathematical intelligence challenges us to delve into science research for hopeful solutions to problems we face.

Where does hope live in your day? More importantly,  what will it take to stir hope’s brightly lit guides and illuminate your difficult pathways for the coming week?

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Created by Ellen Weber, Brain Based Tasks for Growth Mindset