Approaching the Year of Hope from Belief in a Brighter Future

In this Jubilee Year of Hope, many people may struggle with believing that “good things are to come.” Darryl Ducote, LCSW, director of the Department of Marriage and Family Life of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, recently talked about the brain’s ability to change and grow. This causes people to have hope in the face of adversity.

Ducote’s presentation on the psychology of hope was part of a Day of Recollection at the Catholic Life Center in Baton Rouge on Dec. 3.  Parish leaders gathered to prepare for the Year of Hope. The topics presented during the day placed a three-fold emphasis on hope: the psychology of hope, the theology of hope, and the spirituality of hope. Ducote said the presentations stemmed from a day of reflection he and Paul Caesar, former director of the Archdiocese of New Orleans Retreat Center in Metairie, did at the center.

Ducote said, “While we recognize hope as a theological virtue, I think it's also just an everyday virtue. It’s a practical virtue for people's lives, whether they're people of faith or not; to recognize that we have the capacity for hope because we have the capacity to change.”
When people encounter difficulties, they have choices on how to approach them from a human point of view, according to Ducote. Understanding the psychology of hope helps them to face difficulties and overcome them because they recognize they have the capacity to change.

“The capacity to change comes from our brain’s ability to continue to grow and develop,” said Ducote.

To develop an attitude of hope, even apart from faith, Ducote said, is to recognize one’s ability to meet adversity.  They are aware that negative self-talk can limit them in meeting the challenges that adversity presents.

Good ways to explore natural hope include counseling and psychology resources specializing in helping people thrive and flourish, Ducote said.

People can share their own experiences of developing hope when interacting with those who are struggling to meet challenges and thereby help them to discover hope.

Ducote said the good news is that the brain is “never completely fixed.” Through the process of neuroplasticity, the brain can change and adapt based on experience. By repeatedly focusing on positive thoughts, people can strengthen the neural pathways associated with happiness and well-being. People’s IQ scores can change.

“The brain is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it changes,” Ducote said. “The brain grows in the process of meeting the challenge.”

The reality is, there will always be challenges to overcome, according to Ducote. But through God’s gift of the mind, one can see them as opportunities to discover their capabilities, to expand their thoughts and see the possibilities.

“When you are forced to meet a challenge, you can give up, or you can make whatever changes you need to meet that challenge and thus grow,” Ducote said.

The year of faith comes at a good time with the negative experiences occurring throughout the world such as wars, famines, and especially the decline of faith. People are increasingly “relying on their own devices” and not taking advantage of the additional resources that they have through faith.

By developing natural hope people can appreciate hope on a spiritual level, stated Ducote. As they realize they have capacity to change, it opens the door for receiving hope from a divine source.

“In the midst of struggles that are going on, hope becomes important to be able to maintain a positive outlook on life. And a belief in life hereafter,” said Ducote.

He added, “When you add the element of faith to natural hope, it provides a whole other level of encouragement. It recognizes there is a power greater than our own that can assist us in adversity and support our belief that blessings will continue despite adversity.”

To learn more about the resources referenced in this article, visit https://diobr.org/jubilee-year-of-hope-day-of-reflection.