March Monthly Luncheon with Victor Perton, by Cr Keith Ryall

March Monthly Luncheon

Wednesday, 2nd March 2022 Is the Lack of Optimism a Global Risk?

For many Graduate Union members, Victor Perton needs no introduction. Victor was the guest speaker at our Monthly Luncheon in March 2021, held face-toface during a temporary respite from the lockdowns endured over the past two years. His topic then was The Heart of Optimism: What makes you Optimistic for 2021 and Beyond?. In October 2020, he presented a Special Online Only event titled Optimism - your superpower - the why and the how. Victor is the son of refugee parents from Latvia and Lithuania. He completed a Law/Economics degree at Monash University with additional studies at both Melbourne and Peking Universities. He was a Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 2006, representing the electorate of Doncaster for the Liberal Party. In December 2008, he was appointed as the Victorian Government Commissioner to the Americas by then-Premier John Brumby. In 2015, he founded the Australian Leadership Project and in 2019, the Centre for Optimism. In 2022, Victor in association with friends of the Centre for Optimism and Rotary Clubs, will be assisting with the Fourth Annual Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit on 18th July (Nelson Mandela Day) in the Victorian Parliament’s Legislative Assembly and Queens Hall. Victor began his most recent presentation by reminding us of what he said about Optimism twelve months ago and the quote from Dr Steven Pinker, a Harvard Cognitive Psychologist, who said…””Optimism is not generally thought cool, and it is often thought foolish. With choice comes freedom and therefore Optimism is about possibilities for the future.” He also quoted an unknown writer who said that “Optimists see an opportunity in every adversity but Pessimists see adversity in every new opportunity.” Below are the eleven Habits of an Optimist; not all were quoted by Victor but we thought it worthwhile to include the full list… 1. Consider using better greetings - instead of….How are you? Try…What’s the best thing that’s happened for you? 2. Hang out with Optimists…choose your company wisely. 3. Turn down the News…share positive stories instead. 4. Practise Gratitude — at the end of the day, share with yourself 3 things that you can be grateful for today. 5. Perhaps start a Gratitude Journal — write down (if that’s your style ) those 3 things each day. 6. Write Positive Affirmations — focus on your own wisdom and insights and write them down. 7. Mediate and pray for Optimism — Combine

Meditation and Mindfulness. 8. Visualize your Best Positive Self — Review each one every 3 months. 9. Laugh like an Optimist…laughter improves the immune system. 10. Ask others….What makes you Optimistic? 11. Smile like an Optimist…get into the habit of smiling at strangers and say….Good Morning/Afternoon/

Evening…whatever is appropriate.

Victor’s presentation concluded with members of the audience being invited to share their own thoughts on what makes them optimistic and we wrapped up with a raucous round of laughter to conclude the first Monthly Luncheon for 2022. Thank you again Victor for your totally infectious optimism — so desperately needed while war rages on in Ukraine. References: Start with www.centreforoptimism.com for more details about the Centre for Optimism, founded in 2019 and now with over 6,000 members from 65 countries. Do a Google Search on the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit 2021 to obtain a glimpse of what will be happening in Melbourne on 18th July 2022. More details will be in future editions of the Graduate Union Newsletters. Summary provided by Councillor Keith Ryall, Vice Chair of The Graduate Union and President of the Carlton Rotary Club.

Members were invited to write to us with their thoughts on optimism. Read positive thoughts from Pat Smith on page 20, who told us about a very successful teaching program that she was proud to be a part of in Ukraine in 1999.

Victor Perton with Heather Wheat