About this quote

It points to that small private habit people use to keep hope alive: looking up and allowing themselves one wish. Wishing itself doesn't solve the problem, but it clarifies what you want and who you want it for. Ask yourself who gets that wish and then pick one tiny step you can take toward it today. Make the wish useful; write down one concrete action and try it tonight.

When to use it

• At work, before a high-stakes pitch to clients, I glance at the sky and say this to remind myself why I started the project.
• During a late-night study session, I whisper it when I need to remember the future I'm saving these hours for.
• On the morning of a big race, I sit on the curb, look up at the stars, and repeat it to hold onto the reason I trained.
• The night before my daughter's surgery, I stood on the porch, read this line to myself, and then wrote one small plan for the next day.