'He thought he needed to find someone special. He never realized he could make someone feel special': 17 Hopecore Memes to Kick Off the Workweek on a Hopeful Note

Olivia Arocena • Writer and Editor

Nov 10, 2026 9:15 AM EST

Can making someone else feel special be the first step towards receiving the same energy?

We spend a lot of time waiting for someone who makes us feel special. Maybe we could start by making someone else feel special, and that could get the ball rolling.

Instead of asking who might come and change our lives, we could start by thinking about how to change someone else's day, and alter the direction of our thoughts.

Being special is not an incredible quality one has, and somebody else discovers; sometimes it is an experience we create for one another, and we can break the ice and create it.

The 'worst' that can happen is that we get rejected, and it's not even horrible.

We don't have to be the coolest or the most charming person in the room; we just have to make a little gesture, thinking about the other person and what can lighten their day. Sometimes doing something like that opens up a door for them to do the same for us, and it creates an exchange of good vibes that ends up making us feel special (the thing we wanted in the first place).

As this is the hopeful weekly post, I challenge you to take that attitude this week. Look for opportunities to make other people feel special. It doesn't matter if it is your friends or a significant other.

The point is not to earn affection by being extraordinary, or to give too much expecting to receive the same. It's just generosity. And generosity inspires others to be the same.

Perhaps we are a little too focused on being seen, when we could use our time to see others; that is much more interesting. It is very sad when you look at life analyzing what's missing, instead of looking at life analyzing what you can do to show your loved ones you love them.

Maybe the special person we keep trying to find is already here with us; we just have to create an environment where the special treatment we yearn for is normal and goes both ways.

Connection is something we create, not something that just happens to us one lucky day. Let's go create it!

Next week, you can let me know how it goes. For now, you can enjoy today's hopeful meme list and rejoice in positive feelings that you will then exude.