Continue the Conversation
What gives you hope?
Is it believing that things will get better?
Looking forward to something exciting?
Knowing that change is possible?
Or is it something much smaller?
A moment of laughter. A conversation. A walk in nature. A creative experience. Somebody showing us kindness when we need it most.
We often talk about hope as though it's something enormous. Something connected to our ambitions, dreams and the future we imagine for ourselves.
But what if hope is also something we experience in the smallest moments of everyday life?
And what happens when life becomes difficult and hope feels harder to find?
In this episode of The Third Conversation, Anna Browne, Oliver Jones and Sandi Littler explore hope through their experiences of trauma recovery, creativity, community, grief, unexpected change and everyday life.
Together, they consider how hope changes as we grow older, why connection matters and whether we sometimes lose sight of what's possible because we're focusing on the things we can't control.
One of the most powerful ideas to emerge from the conversation was that hope doesn't always have to come from within us.
Sometimes another person can believe in the possibility of change before we're ready to believe it ourselves.
Perhaps hope isn't simply something we find. Perhaps it's something we notice, create, share and sometimes borrow.
If this conversation made you think differently about hope, here are some ways to keep exploring.
Read
The Book of Hope — Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
A conversation about finding reasons for hope in a world facing enormous challenges. Particularly relevant to our discussion about the news, future generations and the difference between acknowledging difficult realities and believing change is possible.
The Comfort Book — Matt Haig
A collection of reflections on hope, difficult days, resilience and the small things that can bring comfort. A reminder that hope doesn't always need to arrive through dramatic change.
Reasons to Stay Alive — Matt Haig
A personal exploration of depression, recovery and finding reasons to keep going. Relevant to the idea that hope can be difficult to recognise when we're struggling, and that support and connection matter.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse — Charlie Mackesy
A beautifully illustrated exploration of kindness, friendship, vulnerability and courage. Particularly relevant to the idea that we don't always have to find strength or hope alone.
Wintering — Katherine May
Explores the difficult, quieter seasons of life and how periods of uncertainty, rest and reflection can become part of our personal growth.
The Art of Possibility — Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
An invitation to rethink limitations, creativity and what becomes possible when we approach ourselves and others differently.
Listen
The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos
Explores the science of happiness and wellbeing, including how our habits, expectations and relationships influence the way we experience everyday life.
On Being with Krista Tippett
Thoughtful conversations about hope, meaning, connection, spirituality and what it means to be human, often through different perspectives and lived experiences.
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day
Conversations about setbacks, unexpected changes and the experiences that shape us. A reminder that life not going to plan doesn't mean possibility has disappeared.
The Blindboy Podcast
Selected episodes explore creativity, mental health, culture and the ways art and imagination help us understand ourselves and the world around us.
Watch
How to Be Happy Every Day: It Will Change the World — Jacqueline Way (TEDx)
Explores how small acts of giving and kindness can influence our wellbeing and connection with others.
The Power of Vulnerability — Brené Brown (TEDx)
A thought-provoking exploration of human connection, vulnerability and the courage to be seen, particularly relevant to the idea that we don't have to navigate difficult experiences alone.
How to Make Stress Your Friend — Kelly McGonigal (TED)
Explores how our understanding of stress and our relationships with others can influence the way we experience challenges.
How to Gain Control of Your Free Time — Laura Vanderkam (TED)
A reminder that what we choose to notice and prioritise can shape our everyday experience, including the moments we often overlook.
Try Something
Hope doesn't always have to be something we wait for.
Sometimes it begins with noticing what's already around us.
Here are a few ways to explore your own relationship with hope.
Keep a little moments list.
At the end of each day, write down one small thing that made you smile, laugh or feel connected. It doesn't need to be significant. Perhaps the smallest things are the ones worth noticing.
Reconnect with creativity.
Draw something. Take a photograph. Write a few lines. Make something with your hands. Try an activity without worrying whether you're any good at it. Notice how it feels to create simply for the experience.
Spend some time outside.
Go for a walk, sit somewhere peaceful or take a moment to notice your surroundings. What can you hear, see or feel that you might normally overlook?
Think about who holds hope for you.
Who helps you see possibilities when you're struggling to see them yourself? Is there somebody whose encouragement, kindness or belief has made a difference?
Notice where your attention goes.
How much time do you spend focusing on things you can't control? Could you make a little more space for the things you can influence?
Look for a different kind of news.
Seek out a positive development, an act of kindness or a story about people making a difference. Not to ignore difficult realities, but to remind yourself that they aren't the whole picture.
Ask somebody what gives them hope.
Choose someone from a different generation, background or experience. Listen to their answer without trying to change it. You might discover something completely unexpected.
And perhaps most importantly, remember that you don't have to feel hopeful all the time.
Hope doesn't require us to pretend everything is okay.
Sometimes it's enough to recognise that things might not always feel the way they do today.
Take a Moment to Reflect
What does hope actually mean to me?
When do I feel most hopeful?
Has my understanding of hope changed as I've got older?
Do I associate hope with big events or small everyday experiences?
When was the last time something unexpected made me smile on a difficult day?
Who has helped me feel hopeful when I've struggled to find hope for myself?
Have I ever been that person for somebody else?
What role does creativity play in my wellbeing?
Do I make enough time for the things that bring me joy?
How does the news or social media influence how I feel about the future?
Am I spending too much energy worrying about things I can't control?
What gives me hope about younger generations?
Can I recognise possibility without needing to know exactly what happens next?
And perhaps most importantly:
If hope doesn't have to be something enormous, where might I find a little of it today?
Continue the Conversation
Towards the end of this episode, we reflected on how our understanding of hope changes throughout our lives.
Oliver spoke about looking towards a better future, particularly for younger generations.
Anna reflected on the small, everyday moments of hope that can sometimes sit quietly in the background.
And Sandi described becoming more deliberate about noticing the little things, rather than waiting for the big moments.
Three different perspectives, shaped by three different experiences.
But something connected them.
Hope doesn't always arrive in the way we expect.
Sometimes it's something we're looking forward to.
Sometimes it's something we notice.
And sometimes it's something another person helps us see.
Complete the sentence: “Hope to me is…”
Believing things can change?
Seeing somebody recover?
Making something creative?
Finding joy in the everyday?
Watching our children grow?
Being connected to other people?
Knowing we're not alone?
Something else entirely?
Ask someone else how they would finish that sentence. Then ask whether their answer has changed over time.
Because perhaps hope isn't always about knowing that everything will work out. Perhaps it's simply recognising that something good might still be possible.
And sometimes, when somebody can't quite see that possibility for themselves, we can hold a little hope for them.
If you'd like to share your reflections more widely, continue the conversation using #TheThirdConversation.
Because the conversations that change us rarely happen first.