Optimism: Radical Audacity by Ben Goldberg
“Optimism is the rebellious audacity to refuse the status quo and strive for a better future." —Matt Davies, cartoonist The research is abundantly clear: optimism is good for us and for those around us—partners, spouses, kids, and coworkers. There are many demonstrated benefits, but this one, offered by the Dalai Lama XIV, unapologetically tops my list: “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.”
Just getting out of bed each morning is a leap of faith. The world can be a cruel and heartless place, but most of us get out of bed each morning and venture out. Frosts, droughts, floods, diseases, and bugs all come, but we plant our gardens anyway and rejoice each spring when living plants break through the barely warm topsoil. In short, and for better rather than worse, most of us can embrace the positives, the potential, and the possibilities in life. And that seems to be the essence of optimism: choosing to see the potential and possibilities, choosing to stay engaged and not give up-despite life’s many challenges. Those choices feed our ability
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.”" -Noam Chomsky, linguist, philosopher, political activist 8
"People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable." -Unknown to see opportunity, creativity, persistence, and resilience. We don’t give up easily.
Rational, realistic, rebelliously audacious optimism works! Here are some of the demonstrated benefits of optimism: ● Better physical and psycho-emotional health, including possible protective factos against heart problems, cancer, and dementia; higher selfesteem, satisfaction, and well-being ● Better relationships at home and work ● Empowerment (optimism is empowering; pessimism is disempowering) ● Actual changes in some of the ways we think and how our brains work ● Motivation to lead a healthy lifestyle ● Longevity and faster recovery from even serious and/or chronic illness ● Stress and mood management and enhanced resilience and proactivity ● Better sleep ● Improved likelihood that we can reach personal and professional goals COOP SCOOP
