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Are you an optimist?
It’s a question that may feel loaded, especially now, in a world that feels perpetually on the brink. For most people, optimism feels like a fleeting emotion that depends on circumstances, like winning a game or finishing a project. But real optimism is different – true optimism endures, pushing us to see not just the moment’s reality but a future worth building, worth fighting for. It’s an outlook and a habit, one that shapes not just the way we see the world but how we choose to show up in it.
So, are you an optimist?
Optimism often gets a bad rap – dismissed as naïve or even out-of-touch. But let me argue this: Optimists build. Optimists envision the long term and get to work. They recognize that building something meaningful takes time, patience, and a fundamental bet on a positive future. Optimists are doers, builders, and thinkers. Pessimists hibernate, tend to step aside, and maybe even profit from the inevitable down periods in the lives of businesses and communities.
For anyone building anything meaningful – be it a family, a career, a community, or a better society – optimism is not a luxury. It’s essential. That’s why, by definition, optimism isn’t just an attitude. It’s a commitment.
This year, as we inch toward yet another election season in the United States – polarizing, to put it mildly – I feel compelled to share why I’m still, and maybe even more so than ever, an optimist. And not just in a vague, “things will be fine” way. Like everyone else, I do have preferences, biases, and ideas about where we could do better – but one bias I hold stronger than any policy position is that the world will be better 10, 20, and 30 years from now. Why? Because it always has been, even when the odds were less than promising. The arc of history may bend unevenly, but it still bends toward improvement. And the progress we’ve made in the past century alone is proof enough.
The Arc of Progress: Our Resilient Upward Climb
Let’s talk numbers. Over the last 150 years, the world has endured two world wars, economic meltdowns, pandemics, and natural disasters that seemed to defy recovery. And yet, by nearly every metric, the human condition has improved. We are wealthier, healthier, and better educated than any generation before us. Life expectancy has more than doubled from just over 30 years in 1800 to over 72 years globally today. Literacy rates, once limited to a privileged few at less than 10% in 1800, now span over 85% globally. Infant mortality, once a grim and everyday reality, has dropped by over 90%.
Economists have a term for this phenomenon: “the great escape” – the freedom from poverty, disease, and ignorance that a large part of humanity has achieved over the past two centuries. And here’s a perspective that’s perhaps even more potent: despite all the bad news we’re constantly fed, most of these improvements are so routine they rarely make the headlines.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Sure, but that’s the global average. Not everyone’s benefiting.” And you’re right. The progress we celebrate isn’t universally shared. In too many corners of the world, poverty, lack of access to education, and systemic inequality are a daily struggle. There are communities where clean water, basic healthcare, and freedom and security are still not guaranteed. But here’s why, even for them, I’m still an optimist: progress doesn’t erase suffering, but it proves what’s possible. From the rubble of World War II, societies across Europe, Japan, and much of Asia rebuilt, not just surviving but thriving in ways unimaginable only a generation prior.
Think about the people who lived through those years—when cities were flattened, families torn apart, entire economies upended. Yet within a few short decades, these very countries went from devastation to prosperity. That is the resilience of the human spirit. When we see that kind of transformation, it’s hard not to believe that even the darkest moments can eventually give way to light.
As Carl Jung aptly put it, “Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health.”
I submit to you that the challenges we encounter are merely ingredients in the recipe for human evolution, each obstacle spurring adaptation, innovation, and resilience. Optimism, then, is not ignorance of the past but faith in our capacity to build beyond it.
The Optimism Practice: Turning Hope into Habit
Optimism isn’t easy. In a time when we’re inundated with a 24/7 feed of disaster and outrage, staying positive can feel like a rebellious act. Optimism requires practice – a discipline, really – it’s built like a muscle. When life throws curveballs – and it always will – optimism is what gives us the stamina to stay hopeful. But you can’t just flip a switch. It’s a discipline, one we must practice daily. So here are a few practices that have helped me stay optimistic and centered:
1. Daily Centering and Awareness
Thich Nhat Hanh, the revered Zen master, once said, “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
Each morning, I take a few minutes to check in with myself. Before emails, news, or the day’s noise, I sit quietly. It’s grounding, a reminder that no matter what happens today, I can choose my response. This habit is like setting my compass – each day, I start from a place of control and intention, not reaction.
2. Mindful Consumption: Guard Your Intellectual Diet
We are what we consume, intellectually as much as physically. News, social media, endless emails – they can drain you before the day even begins. So, I limit my media intake. Just as you wouldn’t eat junk food all day, I try to be careful about my intellectual diet.
Master Choa Kok Sui, a pioneer in modern Pranic Healing, taught, “Your mind and emotions are not just you; they’re also your filters for reality.”
By limiting exposure to negativity and choosing sources that challenge me without draining me, I invest my most precious currency, my attention, in something worthwhile.
3. Listen Deeply, Speak Thoughtfully
Conversations, especially with those holding opposing views, can feel daunting. But optimism thrives on connection, and good listening is the bridge.
Alfred Adler said it best: “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.”
Real optimism isn’t about burying our heads in the sand; it’s about understanding others and finding common ground. I’ve learned that by truly listening – even when I disagree – I gain new perspectives that fuel a more grounded, realistic optimism.
4. Invest in Your Community and Share Ideas
Optimists are investors – not just in the financial sense, but in their communities, ideas, and connections. Sharing ideas isn’t just a networking tool; it’s an act of optimism.
Adam Grant has often noted, “The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed.”
This spirit of generosity – sharing ideas and offering support – is contagious. We lift others by sharing what we know and opening ourselves to learn from them. It’s a cycle of mutual uplift, and that’s a beautiful thing.
5. Be Stoic, Embrace Patience
Optimism is not blind enthusiasm; it’s patient belief. The Stoics knew this well. There’s an old Stoic idea that resonates here: obstacles aren’t roadblocks; they’re exercises in resilience.
Patience, in this sense, is not passive. It’s an active, steady commitment to navigating the highs and lows without losing faith in the destination. For me, it’s like practicing my golf game rather than going for a run. Breaking 90 or even 80 isn’t today, next week, or even next year – but I’m committed to getting there.
Stories of Triumph: Optimism in Action
When I think of resilience and optimism in action, several human experiences come to mind.
Consider Malala Yousafzai’s experience. As a young girl, she was shot by the Taliban for wanting an education. Instead of retreating in fear, she became an advocate for girls’ education worldwide, eventually winning a Nobel Peace Prize.
Or take the example of Rwanda. After the horrors of the genocide, Rwanda didn’t just recover; it transformed. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, and one of the safest, most progressive nations on the continent.
These stories are not isolated miracles; they’re proof of what’s possible when optimism meets action. If individuals and communities can rise from such depths, surely, we can each bring a bit more hope into our own lives, into our cities, and our world.
Civic Engagement: Optimism as Action
But optimism isn’t just a personal stance; it’s also a civic responsibility. As much as we might like to stay above the fray, real change requires getting involved. This means voting, showing up, and staying informed – not only about national issues but about local ones. The village, city, county, state, federal, and even global level is where real change happens. If we want our community to be better, we need to be part of the solution. I’ve learned that optimism grows stronger when paired with action.
It’s tempting to think that our small actions don’t matter, that one vote or one voice can’t change much. But collective action is built one person at a time.
As the Dalai Lama said, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
Every voice matters. Optimism without action is just wishful thinking; when we actively engage, we turn hope into impact.
Optimism is a Constructive Rebellion
Optimism today may feel radical. In a world dominated by cynicism, where bad news is a headline and good news barely gets a mention, choosing to believe in a brighter future feels almost rebellious.
Once again in the words of the Dalai Lama, “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.”
But it’s more than a feeling – it’s a statement of defiance against the forces of pessimism and defeatism.
People often ask how I manage to stay optimistic. My answer is always the same: optimism isn’t denial. It’s a choice to see beyond the current reality and envision what could be. And when we look at the trajectory of human progress, we see that even amid challenges, we’re moving forward. The longer the timeline, the clearer the pattern becomes: life improves, slowly but surely.
So here’s my challenge to you: start small.
Spend a few minutes each day practicing gratitude, limit the negativity you allow into your life, and engage with others in meaningful ways. Small steps are all it takes to ignite an optimistic life.
I love how Simon Sinek says it, “The goal is not to be perfect by the end. The goal is to be better tomorrow.”
So let us commit, even amidst the uncertainty, to be better and build better – today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Because when we assume positive intent, we build a future that’s worth being optimistic about.
Because in the end, when we assume positive intent, when we engage and build, we’re not just dreaming of a better world. We’re creating it.
And please remember to vote.
We are all just doing our best ~ Always Assume Positive Intent!
Let me know how I can help,
Adi
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