Unlocking the Power of Hope: How a Single Thought Can Transform Your Life

There is something profoundly hopeful about being human. Not that it wouldn't be hopeful to be something else, but as far as we know, we are the only ones capable of being aware that hope exists. And the knowledge that something can improve in the future, sometimes even within a moment, is a tremendous source of power for the present.

We know this because we’ve all gone through tough periods in life where that awareness has literally been lifesaving. It’s like falling overboard from a ship and knowing that someone will soon come by—this can give us the strength to tread water for hours instead of giving up. If you've made it this far in life and are sitting here reading this, I believe you have several examples of this and understand what I mean.

In my experience, there is something deeply universal about us humans: we can, at any moment, have a fresh new thought that changes our experience of the world. You don’t need to be a mathematical genius like Archimedes to shout “Eureka!” when struck by an entirely new way of looking at something.

No, this ability is democratically distributed to everyone the moment we are born. Whether it’s something as mundane as figuring out how to rearrange a room, waking up in the middle of the night suddenly knowing where the sofa should go to make it work, or having a realization like Copernicus that the Earth cannot possibly be the center of the universe—big or small, it all comes from the same creative source we all share.

This is something that thinkers throughout history have been keenly aware of. Entire novels have seemingly been downloaded wirelessly into the minds of authors who are amazed at what the characters in their stories do while their pen or keyboard glows. In an instant, you can no longer see a situation or a person in the same way. Suddenly, you’re struck by something and can’t understand how you missed “seeing it” before.

Too many, however, seem unaware of this universal ability, despite history's countless examples, which is why I’m writing about it here. Simply becoming aware that you possess this human capacity to receive a new idea out of the blue is hopeful in itself. Knowing that you can open your mind and change your perspective about something that seemed set in stone gives you strength, even during the toughest times.

All it takes is the understanding that just because you think a certain way today doesn’t mean you have to think that way tomorrow—or at least not take those thoughts as seriously if they show up again. This realization helps you see how fleeting your thoughts really are. A new thought can pop up at any moment and surprise you with its clarity, shifting something fundamentally and making a real difference.

Everyone I’ve met has experienced this. Maybe it happened when they were about to fall asleep, in the shower, on a walk, or sitting in the car. Regardless, it often happens when they were, so to speak, thinking about something else. This might be why people often dismiss their “temporary brilliance” as a function of external circumstances, distancing themselves from their own creative superpower.

This week, I want to invite you to consider whether it might be time to take responsibility for this deeply human ability we all possess. To realize that our natural essence is to be creative, curious, and hopeful beings. If not for how we so often override the natural with the normal—usually by taking our insecure thoughts too seriously—this lightning would strike more frequently from your clear mental sky. All it takes is to look in the direction of possibility. Could it really be that simple, even if not easy? Yes, and I hope that’s as hopeful for you as it is for me.