My 10 Favorite Quotes on Hope
I’ve been collecting quotes about hope for a very long time. There is barely a day that goes by that I don’t spot something that has inspiration and meaning behind it. In the field of positive psychology, we might call this hunting the good. Studying the new science of hope and Learned Hopefulness, I have committed myself to teaching and helping people find ways to access a more hopeful attitude and way of being. There’s a little burst of joy in my heart, and a deep sense of satisfaction when I find a quote that supports this mission.
Hope is fascinating because it is the only positive emotion that requires the presence of negativity or uncertainty to be activated. This makes it ferociously unique, and the new science and theories about how hope works is changing fields of study, in medicine, psychology, therapy, education, meditation, and the science of longevity. Hope is essential to understanding well-being.
Here, in no particular order, are ten of the most inspiring quotes on hope I’ve collected. Which one of them is your favorite?
My 10 Favorite Quotes on Hope
1."You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” — Pablo Neruda
When so much seems to be wrong, and so much pain is upon us, it is essential to remember that the capacity for renewal is as eternal as is the spring.
2. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
The strongest of all motivators is when a positive emotion is mixed with intention. The former first lady could not have expressed this in more poetic or eloquent terms.
3. "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” — Albert Einstein
Einstein’s emphasis on curiosity as you lean into the future gives us not only sound advice, but a glimpse, perhaps, into the workings of his own mind.
4. "You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” — Michelle Obama
In this one sentence, the former first lady so beautifully identifies the spark of courage that can ignite us and others.
5. "May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." — Nelson Mandela
When choices are made from fear, they are limited to attack, run away, or play dead. Fight, flight, and freeze are the responses generated by a threat response, while the responses of hope are filled with positive influence on the future. Hope is about the agency to make things better. Fear reduces our creativity to cope with the situation. This quote comes from one of history’s greatest exemplars of this principle.
6. "I inhale hope with every breath I take." — Sharon Kay Penman, Novelist
Our breath is the portal to our well-being. We should breathe how we want to live. If we breathe shallow and pressured, this is how we will live. If we fill ourselves up, savor our breath, and release it with grace, we’ll live in this fashion. Taking in hope with each inhalation reminds us of its availability—and necessity.
7. "Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature.” —Steve Maraboli, Speaker, author, and veteran
In a recent class for our Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia, I handed out a seed for students to contemplate on as they began their meditation. When I asked them afterwards why I would give them a seed, the answers ran the spectrum: “It reminded me of hidden potential.” “I reflected on the mystery of growth.” “That a seed is part of a greater sequence.” “It needs to be nurtured to form properly.” “We are the gardeners of our own seeds.” Maraboli’s quote embodies these reflections and serves as a poignant reminder that we will reap what we sow.
8. "You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated." — Maya Angelou
Only a poet/activist could deliver a line so succinct and so true.
9. "But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
The indefatigable champion of the civil rights movement was not only a symbol and inspiration for courage, but he was also the master of using metaphors to help reframe our awareness.
10. "The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” — Barbara Kingsolver, Writer
This Pulitzer Prize-winning writer reminds us that hope is a verb.
Final Thoughts on Hope
Hope is an act of courage. When we orient ourselves toward hope, we take actions that align with our most hopeful lives. This effect reverberates across our communities, causing people close to us to embody hope, too.
When you take in all of these quotes about hope from some of our most beloved public figures in history, what do you take away? How does it change the course of your day, your week, your month?
