I really struggle with that feeling of helplessness. That's why

Hear the honest and luminous words of Daryl Hannah: “I really struggle with that feeling of helplessness. That’s why I really try to get my blogs, and even myself, to point to the positive and look at all the inspiring things that are happening.” In these words lies both confession and wisdom: confession of the weight that presses upon the human soul when the world seems too broken to mend, and wisdom in the deliberate choice to turn the mind toward hope, to magnify what uplifts rather than drown in what destroys.

The feeling of helplessness is one of humanity’s oldest foes. It arises when the problems of the world seem too vast, when the storms of life feel too strong for any single hand to calm. Empires have collapsed under such despair, and individuals have been swallowed by it. Yet Hannah reveals a secret path: when we cannot control all things, we can still control where we direct our gaze. And by choosing to focus on what is positive, we give our hearts strength to endure and our hands courage to act.

The ancients understood this struggle well. In the midst of war, famine, and exile, the prophets of old reminded their people to “lift up their eyes” to visions of hope. The Stoics counseled that while we cannot command the winds, we can adjust our sails. Even the sages of the East taught that despair is conquered not by mastering all circumstances, but by mastering the mind’s response to them. Hannah’s words echo this lineage: when helplessness rises, point your thoughts toward what inspires.

History gives us shining testimony. Consider Anne Frank, hidden away in her attic during the horrors of war. She could have given in to despair, yet she wrote in her diary, “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” Though powerless to stop the violence around her, she chose to focus her gaze on what was beautiful and hopeful. Like Hannah, she refused to let helplessness define her spirit. Her words continue to inspire generations, proving that even in the darkest times, focusing on the positive can plant seeds of light.

The truth is this: despair grows when we fixate only on what is broken. Hope grows when we remember the inspiring things that still exist—acts of kindness, courage in adversity, resilience in suffering. To focus on such things does not deny the existence of pain, but it balances it, reminding us that darkness has not swallowed the world. This practice is not naive; it is strategic, for it keeps the spirit alive and able to act when otherwise it would collapse.

The lesson is clear: though feelings of helplessness will come, we are not powerless. We may not change all things at once, but we can change the focus of our minds and the tone of our voices. By choosing to speak of what is positive, by pointing others to what is inspiring, we create ripples of light in a world clouded by shadow. The more we do this, the more we weaken despair’s hold, both in ourselves and in those around us.

Practical steps flow from this wisdom. When helplessness arises, pause and deliberately list the good you see around you, however small—a smile, an act of kindness, a moment of beauty. Share these things with others, whether through words, writing, or daily conversation. Train your thoughts to search for inspiration as one searches for treasure. And when others fall into despair, point them gently toward hope, becoming a living reminder that even in chaos, light can still be found.

So remember Daryl Hannah’s words: “I really struggle with helplessness, but I point to the positive and look at the inspiring things that are happening.” Take them as a call to arms for the spirit. Do not surrender to despair, but fix your gaze on what uplifts. In so doing, you will endure the storms of life, and your light will help others endure as well. For though none of us can heal the whole world alone, each of us can choose to magnify hope, and together, those sparks can grow into a flame that darkness cannot overcome.