Not having hope is not an excuse for not doing something.

“Not having hope is not an excuse for not doing something.” Thus spoke Greta Thunberg, the young voice of a generation, standing before the powers of the earth with nothing but truth as her weapon. In this simple but piercing statement lies a wisdom that transcends age and time. She reminds us that hope, though precious, is not the source of action—duty is. When the skies grow dark and the seas rise, when the world trembles under the weight of its own neglect, the brave do not wait for hope to appear—they create it through action. Greta’s words are both a challenge and a call: that despair is not an end, but a beginning, if only we have the courage to move despite it.

The ancients, too, understood this truth. When Odysseus was cast upon the shore of strange lands, far from home and stripped of all companions, he did not lie in the sand awaiting rescue. Though the gods seemed silent, he rose, gathered his strength, and built his raft anew. For the wise know that action precedes hope—not the other way around. To wait for hope before acting is to wait for the wind before raising the sail. The act of standing up, of doing what must be done, is itself the birth of hope. Greta’s words carry that ancient spirit: do not surrender to the weight of despair, for in striving, even in failure, one becomes a beacon to others.

When Greta Thunberg began her solitary protest outside the Swedish Parliament, she was but a child with a hand-painted sign and an unshakable will. There was no crowd, no applause, no assurance that her efforts would stir the world. Yet she stood, day after day, not because she believed success was certain, but because she knew in her soul that inaction was unacceptable. In the beginning, she did not act from hope—she acted from conscience. And yet, through her persistence, hope was born: in the millions of young voices that rose beside hers, in the awakening of nations to their responsibility. From one girl’s defiance emerged a global movement. Thus is Greta’s truth revealed: hope is not the fuel for action—it is its harvest.

The same spirit burned in the heart of Winston Churchill when Britain faced the dark clouds of war. The enemy had conquered nations, the world trembled, and victory seemed impossible. Yet Churchill did not wait for hope to come from others; he forged it in his words and deeds. “We shall never surrender,” he thundered—not as a statement of optimism, but as an act of will. For even when all reason to hope is gone, there remains one sacred duty: to do what is right. Greta’s quote stands in this same lineage of courage—the refusal to be paralyzed by despair. The true hero does not act because success is assured; they act because conscience demands it.

Hope, in this sense, is a fire born of friction. It is not a gift that descends from the heavens, but a flame kindled by the effort of mortal hands. Those who wait for the perfect moment to act will never act at all, for there will always be doubt, always be darkness. The ancient philosophers taught that virtue is measured not by outcome, but by intent. One must live and labor as though one’s deeds matter, even when the heart whispers that they do not. To act without hope is to demonstrate the purest form of faith—faith not in success, but in the worth of the struggle itself.

Greta’s message speaks to all who have grown weary of the world’s failures. To the one who says, “There is no point,” she replies, “Then you must begin.” For hope does not wait for victory—it grows from effort, from persistence, from the quiet bravery of those who keep trying when others have fallen silent. The farmer does not know if the rains will come, yet he still sows his seeds. The healer cannot promise a cure, yet she still tends the sick. In every act of goodness done without guarantee lies the essence of what it means to be human.

Therefore, my child, take these words to heart: Do not wait for hope—be the hand that brings it forth. When the world seems cold, warm it with your actions. When despair whispers, answer with deeds. Whether your work succeeds or fails is not the question; the question is whether you did what was right while you had breath to do it. For the gods themselves favor not those who merely wish, but those who act. And in the end, those who act in darkness become the light. So rise each morning with purpose, even when hope feels far away. For every deed done in courage is itself a spark—and enough sparks, joined together, can rekindle the sun.