Happy Friday everyone!
If you have ever contemplated the significance of having hope, the following story about Harvard's Hope Experiment may help you see the significance of having hope: During a study at Harvard in the 1950's, Dr. Curt Richter placed rats in a pool of water to test how long they could tread water. On average, they'd give up and start to sink after 15 minutes. But right before they gave up due to exhaustion, the researchers would pluck them out, dry them off, let them rest for a few minutes - and then put them back in for a second round. In this second try - how long do you think they lasted? Remember - they had just swam until failure only a few short minutes ago... How long do you think? Another 15 minutes? 10 minutes? 5 minutes? No! 60 hours. That's not an error. That's right, 60 hours of swimming! The conclusion drawn was that since the rats BELIEVED that they would eventually be rescued, they could push their bodies past what they previously thought impossible.
If hope can cause exhausted rats to swim for that long, what can it do for you? When you believe in yourself and your abilities, you have hope. When you believe in someone else's abilities you give them hope. Always remember what you are capable of and keep swimming.
Happy Friday!!