A Bit of Optimism

For this 4th of July, I wanted to do something special to celebrate the birth of our nation. So I invited Air Force Chief of Staff General CQ Brown, Jr. to join me on the podcast. 

General Brown is the head of the Air Force and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is also the current nominee to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. If he is confirmed as Chairman later this year, it would make him the most senior-ranked member of the United States military. 

General Brown is humble, approachable, credible, and super inspiring. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on General Brown and his work, check out: 

His Leadership Library: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/CSAF-Leadership-Library/

His comments in the wake of George Floyd: https://twitter.com/PACAF/status/1268794618461618177?s=20

His bio: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/108485/charles-q-brown-jr/

Change is inevitable.  And yet fear, anger, and confusion are often our first reactions to changes. 

Cassandra Worthy experienced the negative emotions that stem from change so many times that she now sees them for what they really are: signals for opportunity. Now, she helps companies and individuals thrive during times of major change. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Cassandra and her work check out: 

Her book Change Enthusiasm https://a.co/d/jlB2Xnk

https://cassandraworthy.com/

Information is power. But how do we adapt now that most of the information we consume comes with a heavy bias? 

In an ironic twist of fate, it’s Wikipedia — the encyclopedia that anyone can edit — that has done one of the best jobs maintaining public trust in our polarized era. 

I sat down with the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, in front of a live studio audience to explore how we got here and how Wikipedia’s transparency and vulnerability may be a model for a better future.

This…is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Jimmy, his work, and the Founders Forum summit that hosted our conversation, check out: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Wales

https://twitter.com/jimmy_wales

https://ff.co/

What does it mean for a life to go well? What matters most in our time on Earth? 

These are the most important questions of our lives and yet most of us have no clue how to answer them. 

Miroslav Volf is a theologian and professor who has been grappling with these ideas for decades. He is the founding director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture where he teaches a class called “Life Worth Living,” and recently wrote a book by the same name.

It turns out, life worth living is life helping others. 

This is…A Bit of Optimism.  

For more information on Miroslav and his work check out: 

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691260/life-worth-living-by-miroslav-volf-matthew-croasmun-and-ryan-mcannally-linz/

https://faith.yale.edu/people/miroslav-volf

Creative success is notoriously elusive, but those who have made the journey insist it comes down to three factors: hard work, luck, and talent. 

Steven Pressfield wants to add one more thing to that list: a muse. And he should know.

His muse guided him to incredible success as an author of fiction, nonfiction, and movies including hit books like: The Legend of Bagger Vance, The War of Art, and Gates of Fire. 

Steven’s story of the long and bumpy road he took to find his muse and his success can help the rest of us find ours a little quicker. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Steven and his work, check out: 

his new memoir, Govt Cheese: https://stevenpressfieldstore.kinsta.cloud/product/govt-cheese-signed-copy/

and his other published works: https://stevenpressfield.com/books/

On the path to fame, most rising stars abandon their morals.

Not Jimmy Darts. He’s done just the opposite.  

Jimmy started his career as a YouTuber pulling ill-advised pranks. Two decades later, he and his 20 million fans now make the world a kinder place by donating life-changing money to unsuspecting strangers who are spontaneously kind, compassionate, or generous.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Jimmy and his work, check out:

https://www.jimmydarts.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BoMmoR5HSmz5-oS8_1ENw

www.instagram.com/jimmydarts

Dating doesn’t have to be about finding “The One.”  At its most rewarding, modern love can be about growth, curiosity, and authenticity.  

Ana Kirova is the CEO of the dating platform 'Feeld’, a revolutionary app that helps people break free from traditional norms, explore alternative relationships, and discover the boundless potential for love that comes with accepting yourself and others without judgment.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Ana and her work check out: 

https://feeld.co/

“Soul” is a word that I've never really used, but it perfectly encapsulates what has made David Copperfield the most successful magician of all time.  

He has filled global audiences with awe for over 40 years.  He made the Statue of Liberty disappear, escaped from Alcatraz, and walked through the Great Wall of China.  

And it turns out, the key to great magic is also the key to any great work: a visceral, emotional connection between the act and the performer.  

You have to find and honor the soul of the idea.  

This is…A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on David and his work check out: 

https://www.davidcopperfield.com/html/

Molly Bloom’s life story is one-of-a-kind.  

Her Olympic dreams were dashed, so she planned on going to law school. Instead, she wound up running a high-stakes poker game where hundreds of millions of dollars would change hands in a night.  

Molly made a lot of money. Celebrities, mafias, and federal informants soon took an interest in her and her game.  Eventually, she lost everything and had no one to blame but herself.

Her story later became the Academy Award nominated movie, Molly’s Game, and the lessons she learned from her extraordinary journey have tremendous value for the rest of us.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Molly and her work, check out:

twitter.com/immollybloom

How would you like to be judged for the rest of your life by the worst thing you’ve ever done?

Robin Steinberg was a public defender, where she had to learn to see her clients – who were often accused of heinous crimes – as human.  

The lessons she has learned about how to find compassion for people with whom we vehemently disagree are absolutely essential for this divided world.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Robin and her work check out:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/610838/the-courage-of-compassion-by-robin-steinberg-contributions-by-camilo-ramirez/

There is a very good chance that Bill Farmer has already made your life brighter and you had no idea.

That's because Bill is a Disney Legend. He has been the voice of Goofy since 1987, among countless other Disney and Looney Tunes characters. What started as a simple impression sparked an amazing career that has influenced millions with a message of optimism.

He views his work as an act of service. As a result, he brings his audience joy that they carry with them for the rest of their lives.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Bill Farmer and his work, check out: 

https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/its-a-dogs-life-with-bill-farmer

When you get one of the most successful comedy writers in television history to come on your podcast, naturally the first thing to talk about is...his trip in a homemade submarine to visit the ruins of the Titanic.

You see, Mike Reiss isn't just the funniest guy in the room — he's also the most well-traveled.  He's been to Iran, the North Pole, North Korea, and everywhere in between.  

Whether he's sharing travel anecdotes or writer's room memories from his 600+ episodes of The Simpsons, one thing is very clear: when Mike tells a story, things are going to get animated.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Mike and his work check out: 

His travel podcast "What Am I Doing Here with Mike Reiss": https://bleav.com/shows/what-am-i-doing-here-with-mike-reiss/

Our time, energy, and emotions are valuable because they are finite.

And yet conversations with Seth Godin always leave me feeling more patient, energized, and full of love.  

Seth is a prolific author and a marketing genius who knows first-hand how love can take an interaction from transactional to transformational.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Seth and his work check out: 

https://www.sethgodin.com/

A Song of Significance, out May 2023: https://geni.us/pdnqnz

Want to go fast? Go alone. Want to go far? Go together.

Most entrepreneurs aren’t lone wolves. Founders like Jeff Rosenthal know that the greatest ventures come with partners, mentors, and communities.

Being enthusiastic, generous, and kind attracts people who want to help—and together you can accomplish the unreasonable. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Jeff and his work check out: 

https://summit.co/

https://summitimpact.org/

Anxiety is the crown jewel of human evolution. 

That’s the professional opinion of neuroscience professor and clinical psychologist Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, who is driving a paradigm shift in how we understand anxiety. The emotion isn’t a sickness or a flaw in human design – it’s an evolved advantage that protects us and strengthens our creative and productive powers. 

So even though anxiety doesn’t feel good…it can be good to feel anxious.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Dr. Dennis-Tiwary and her work check out: 

https://www.drtracyphd.com/

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/future-tense-tracy-dennis-tiwary?variant=39708426797090

There are precious few moments in life that guarantee joy. That’s what makes time spent with Richard Curtis or watching his films so special – you just know you’re in for a great time.  

Richard is the patron saint of love in the movies.  He’s a writer and sometimes director known for optimistic, funny, and uplifting films like: Love Actually, About Time, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Mr. Bean, and many more.

I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Richard on Valentine’s Day of all days to talk about love, joy, charity, and optimism.

This is…A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Richard and his work check out:

https://www.comicrelief.com/

Explorers discover new worlds and perspectives that change humanity forever.

Leland Melvin has spent his life exploring.  He’s been a rocket scientist, an astronaut, and an NFL player.

Now, he’s an educator who uses the dramatic ups-and-downs of his own life to inspire the next generation of explorers.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Leland and his work, check out: 

lelandmelvin.com

When is a risk worth taking? We have to learn to embrace the comfortable risks - the ones where the pain of failure is worthwhile or even valuable.  

Podcaster, author and NYU professor, Scott Galloway and I talk about a lot of things, including our concern that the youngest generation is too afraid of the risks worth taking and how that may be adversely affecting them. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Scott and his work check out: 

https://www.profgalloway.com/

https://profgmedia.com/the-pod/

https://profgmedia.com/pivot/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/713560/adrift-by-scott-galloway/

Sarah has the coolest job: Space Archaeologist.

She uses satellites to find undiscovered sites buried deep beneath the ground. But the real interesting stuff is what we can learn about ourselves from studying our past.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.
 

Watch Sarah's first TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFC5CwZVCEw&themeRefresh=1

Watch Egypt's Lost Cities on the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011pwms
 

Divesh is one of the most connected people I know. Charming and opinionated, he advises and invests the fortunes of the most successful and wealthiest people on the planet.  

So I wanted to ask him what he's learned along the way and what we can learn from him.

This is... A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Divesh and his work check out: 

https://www.iconiqcapital.com/

When you show up with love and aim only to give of yourself, everyone you interact with can feel it.

Carla Hall has led a life and a career filled with zigs and zags. The two-time Top Chef contestant and current cooking contributor for Good Morning America went from accountant, to model, to author, to chef. She has done it all and shown up with love at every opportunity. She’s living proof that when you make decisions out of love—both for yourself and others—even your falls can be beautiful.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Carla and her work, check out:

https://www.carlahall.com/

https://linktr.ee/carlahall

Every generation is different, but one thing currently unites Boomers, Gen X-ers, and Millennials: they are all struggling to understand Gen Z.  

David and Jonah Stillman are a father-and-son research team who specialize in generational differences and their impact on the workplace. David is Gen X, Jonah is Gen Z, and together they are helping today’s leaders understand the new generation.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Jonah and David's work, check out: 

genguru.com

https://www.amazon.com/Gen-Work-Generation-Transforming-Workplace-ebook/dp/B01HM27IDK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

New year, new opportunities, new questions!

We’re ringing in 2023 with more answers to the hundreds of questions our listeners sent in from all over the world.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on my work, check out: 

simonsinek.com

A few weeks ago, I put out an open call on social media to see what questions my listeners have for me.  And there were a LOT of responses.

So, as an end-of-the-year special, our next two episodes will be dedicated to answering your burning questions.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on my work, check out: 

simonsinek.com

Remember how it was an incredible idea to get Brené Brown and Adam Grant on a call, have absolutely NO plan, and hit record?

Well, this is the second part of that lovely, free-flowing conversation where we talk about creativity, leadership, and if the three of us love each other.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on  Brené and Adam's work, check out: 

https://brenebrown.com/

https://adamgrant.net/

What separates exceptional ideas from good ideas?  

Here’s an example of a good idea: Book two podcast guests and meticulously plan a conversation about creativity.

Now, here’s an exceptional idea: Get Brené Brown and Adam Grant to join you on a call, have absolutely NO plan, and hit record.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Brené and Adam's work check out: 

https://brenebrown.com/

https://adamgrant.net/

Daring to be different feels risky. There’s constant pressure to “read the room” or “tone it down.”

Kathryn Finney discovered at a young age that – when it comes to being authentic – the rewards are actually far greater than the risks.

Kathryn is a model for how being yourself can get you ahead in both business and relationships. She is: an author, an entrepreneur, a fund manager, and a celebrated non-conformist. 

And she does it all in incredible style.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Kathryn and her work check out:

kathrynfinney.com

https://www.kathrynfinney.com/build-the-damn-thing

https://www.geniusguild.co/

Turns out laughter isn't the best medicine. Medicine might not even be the best medicine. If you were to ask Dr Mark Hyman, he would tell you that food is the best medicine.

Some would say Mark is a modern age miracle worker. In reality, he has figured out ways to help the body perform its own miracles. From curing diseases to extending our lifespans, his approach to wellness is unlike what most of us are used to. His work is inspirational, anthropological and downright fascinating.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Mark and his work check out:

his forthcoming book, Young Forever, at www.youngforeverbook.com

https://drhyman.com/

Most of us think that social media is the bastion of our younger generations. Until a middle-aged woman named Janis Burl proved that assumption completely wrong. She oversaw the team that built the TSA’s Instagram account (yes, the TSA has an Instagram account and it’s brilliant) into one of the most popular accounts on Instagram. And the best part of her story is how she got the job. The non-linear career path she followed may be a better way for us to find joy in our careers.  

So if you would kindly take off your shoes, take your liquids and gels out of your bag and throw away your water bottles, this is...a Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Janis and her work, check out: 

https://www.instagram.com/tsa/

There’s something profound in life’s bitter moments. The transformative beauty of a sad song, the anguished past of a story’s hero, the unexpected turnout of a crowded funeral. Turns out we often need darkness in order to appreciate the light.  

In our modern world, we focus so much on the pursuit of happiness that we often forego an appreciation of bitterness. Susan Cain has found a way to celebrate both the sweet and the bitter… in fact she’s written a bestselling book about it.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Susan and her work check out: 

susancain.net 

https://susancain.net/book/bittersweet/

https://susancain.net/newsletter

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Minor key music sample by Musictown from Pixabay

Major key music sample by Trygve Larsen from Pixabay

You went to Harvard undergrad, you went to Harvard Law, you became a hot-shot Private Equity guy.  So your next move is obviously…?

If you’re James Rhee, you walk away from all of it and discover what really makes a business grow: the intangibles.

What started out as a six month project to help a company avoid liquidation turned into a seven year passion filled with new friends, compassion, and lots of goodwill. And the results were profound.  It turns out intangibles can be measured and kindness is good for business.  

This is… A Bit Of Optimism. 

For more on James and his work check out:

Redhelicopter.com for news on upcoming projects, including a forthcoming book.

https://www.ted.com/talks/james_rhee_the_value_of_kindness_at_work?language=en

https://www.ashleystewart.com/strongtogether.html

Don’t you hate it when you’re coasting along -- not a care in the world -- and then it feels like life comes out of nowhere and hits you like a car, almost paralyzing you? Well, for Pat Berges, that wasn’t just a feeling…that actually happened.  

Like many of us, Pat is not a natural optimist. He had to learn how to find optimism during this dark period. Not only did it help him recover, but what he learned continues to help him be, well, optimistic.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Pat and his work, check out:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-berges

https://twitter.com/BergesPat

https://www.aarc.org/ventilator-training-alliance/

It’s what all the poets write about, all the musicians sing about, and all the brokenhearted cry about. That’s right… It's time to talk about love.  

I was lucky enough to talk to Francesca Hogi, a love coach and all around incredible person, about how we can traverse through the world of digital dating, rejection, and modern day love.

So… care to join us? Great. It’s a date.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Francesca and her work check out: 

https://francescahogi.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dearfranny/

https://linktr.ee/dearfranny

If you walk up to someone and say “you’re being unreasonable!” most people would be offended. Will Guidara, however, would take it as a compliment.  

A renowned New York restaurateur, Will transformed Eleven Madison Park into the best restaurant in the world by reinventing how they offered hospitality....they made it unreasonable.  

I had a chance to sit down and talk to him about how he learned the power of being unreasonable.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Will and his work, check out his new book Unreasonable Hospitality below or wherever you prefer to buy your books: 

https://simonsinek.com/optimism_press_books/unreasonable-hospitality/

Some of the most successful people in the world all have a secret power. It’s not their experience or technical expertise that matter most – it’s their partnerships.   

As the President and founding CEO of Virgin Unite, Jean Oelwang has had a ringside seat to remarkable people and how they build deep business and personal relationships.   She has spent over 15 years working with some of the world's greatest partnerships as they learned to become better versions of themselves, and in doing so, multiplied their positive impact on the world. 

 In her new book Partnering, Jean illuminates the six core principles that weave through sixty of these extraordinary collaborations and shows how we can increase depth and meaning in our most important relationships.  

This is…A Bit of Optimism.    

For more on Jean and her work check out:   

https://www.amazon.com/Partnering-Forge-Connections-Things-Happen/dp/059318954X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1646661822&sr=8-2 

https://unite.virgin.com/unite/person/jean-oelwang  

https://twitter.com/JeanOelwang

instagram.com/JeanOelwang

We've all been told in our darkest times: "Don't worry this will get better"...but what happens if everything's going right? Should we be afraid that the other shoe will drop?    

Well, for Adrian Grenier, the other shoe dropped. He was the star of Entourage, the biggest show on television for a decade. He had fame, money, and everything else.   

Until one day when his girlfriend abruptly dumped him. At that moment, he was forced to see himself in a new light -- which inspired him to follow an entirely new path: a journey of reflection, growth, and farming.    

This is…A Bit of Optimism.    

For more on Adrian and his work check out:    

EarthSpeed on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfzVslwYuraxst_RiqNvRGg 

EarthSpeed on Instagram - instagram.com/earthspeed

DuContra Ventures -https://www.ducontra.ventures/   

And a special thanks to Alo Yoga for letting us break in their brand-new podcast studio :-).

We all know a bit about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, but which President was drunk at his inauguration?  Who was the first gay president?  And what kind of parent would name their kid “Millard Fillmore”?

For this Presidents' Day, I called the brilliant Jeremy Deutsch, the king of presidential history, to drop some obscure presidential knowledge and give a couple hints about our presidential future as well.

This is…A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Jeremy and his work check out: 

https://www.capitolventurellc.com/

Can we ensure that we will stay happy through every phase of our lives? Arthur Brooks discovered that there is a clear fork in the road that we will all face at some point. Some of us will struggle to find lasting happiness and the other will only get happier as time passes. The trick is knowing what to do to get on the happy path. 

The best part - Arthur tested his theory on himself…and it worked! He offers lots of words of wisdom -- and lots words I had to look up -- to help guide the rest of us in our quest for personal fulfillment and lifelong happiness.

This is...A Bit Of Optimism. 

If you enjoy the episode, visit ArthurBrooks.com and check out his new book for more on the subject, From Strength to Strength.

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Here are a list of some the big words Arthur uses in the episode…just in case you need it :-)

Routinized - to develop into a regular procedure.

Syndicalized - to join together as one entity, as in a labor union. 

Pedagogical - instructional, characterized by the art or science of teaching. 

Metacognitive - having to do with metacognition, high-level thinking that enables understanding.

Baroque - of or relating to the musical period following the Renaissance, extending roughly from 1600 to 1750.

Fugue - Music. a polyphonic composition based upon one, two, or more themes, which are enunciated by several voices or parts in turn, subjected to contrapuntal treatment, and gradually built up into a complex form having somewhat distinct divisions or stages of development and a marked climax at the end.

Liminality - a state of transition between one stage and the next, especially between major stages in one's life or during a rite of passage.

Disconsolate - characterized by or causing dejection; cheerless; gloomy.

Wizened - withered, shriveled.

When people want to do good they often get stuck because they don’t know what they can do. 

Mark Bustos figured out that to do good, all we need to do is what we are already good at, but to do it for someone else. 

Mark is a hairstylist turned humanitarian who will inspire anyone who hears his story to give more. 

This is…A Bit Of Optimism.

For more information on Mark and his work check out: 

https://www.instagram.com/markbustos/

https://www.mydarlingivy.com/

https://www.silvervineroom.com/

Short packets of content. That’s the world we live in. We've condensed and compressed so much of what we consume that our entertainment and our news seem to have lost any nuance or complexity.

And that’s a problem, because our world and our lives are nuanced and complex.

Phoebe Robinson is a comedian, bestselling author, actress and producer who tries to capture the nuance and complexity of life in her work. And it works. She’s funny, thought-provoking and full of heart. 

This is…A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Phoebe and her work, visit:

https://www.phoeberobinson.com

https://www.tinyreparations.com

Less than 5% of major crimes end in a conviction. For cold cases, that number drops to 1%.      

Those numbers won’t stay low forever.  

David Mittelman’s company, Othram Inc., is revolutionizing DNA sequencing and, in the process, greatly reducing the number of “unsolvable” cases.   

 I called David to learn more about how the new technology works, what it means for the future of crime-fighting, and maybe get some fascinating stories out of the bargain too.      

This is… A Bit of Optimism.   

 For more on David and his work visit:   

DNASolves.com 

Othram.com

Engraved on the Statue of Liberty it reads, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...” A beautiful sentiment, indeed. The reality is a little less poetic. When refugees reach America’s shores today, they face the daunting task of rebuilding a sense of community while trying to work through a system that is ill-equipped to give them the support they need. That’s where Luma Mufleh comes in.   

Twenty-nine years ago, Luma came to the United States as a refugee and has since found herself on a path she didn’t expect - building schools to support refugee children. After hearing her TED Talk, “Don’t Feel Sorry For Refugees, Believe In Them,” I couldn’t wait to get her perspective on how to build a community devoted to taking care of each other. This is… A Bit of Optimism.  

 For more on Luma and her work visit:

 www.fugeesfamily.org   

https://www.ted.com/talks/luma_mufleh_don_t_feel_sorry_for_refugees_believe_in_them

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How would you react if you found out that your friends purposely planned a birthday party when you were out of town so you wouldn’t attend? And what if you found out from a video that went viral on TikTok? 

That’s exactly what happened to Marissa Meizz. 

Marissa's reaction was absolutely beautiful. She used the attention - and the pain - to help others. She founded No More Lonely Friends, a group dedicated to help anyone who wants to build deeper, more meaningful friendships.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more information on Marissa and her work visit: 

https://nomorelonelyfriends.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nomorelonelyfriends

https://www.instagram.com/marissameizz

Fear and anger seem to dominate the headlines. So, to start the New Year, I thought it would be a good idea to find out if there is anything we can do to get to a resolution. And William Ury is about the best person to help figure that out. The author of "Getting to Yes" and co-founder of the Harvard Negotiation Program, he has helped negotiate disarmament pacts between nuclear superpowers, ease religious and ethnic strife in the Middle East, and find common ground among warring factions in Venezuela. So I called William to see if he could start the new year by resolving, well…all of America’s current problems. And the result made me feel quite hopeful. This is…A Bit of Optimism.

If you want to know more about William and his work, check out:

https://www.williamury.com/

https://www.xniforpeace.org/

https://www.abrahampath.org/

Stressed from work? Stressed from life? For all the talk of mindfulness and meditation, a lot of us still struggle to find that calm we want. Omar Brownson tapped into an entirely new way to find peace that may surprise you: gratitude. It was so powerful, he left his high visibility, high stress job to share the power of being grateful with as many people as possible. This…is A Bit of Optimism.

If you want to know more about Omar and his work, check out:

https://simonsinek.com/product/the-gratitude-class

https://www.gratitudeblooming.com/

https://www.gratitudeblooming.com/podcast

Despite all our “social” media, more and more people report feeling lonelier, more stressed and more adrift than ever before. How can we protect our mental health and still engage with friends on Instagram, etc? To find out, I called Sara Kuburic – an existential psychotherapist, war survivor, and the mind behind the massive and brilliant Instagram account @Millennial.Therapist.  Her insights on self-love, trauma and authenticity reveal both a kind heart and profound wisdom. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

If you want to know more about Sara and her work, check out:

https://www.sara-kuburic.com/

https://www.instagram.com/millennial.therapist/

https://twitter.com/SaraKuburic

We live in an era in which possessions are, too often, more important than personal health and the health of our planet. That never felt right to activist, gardener, and education reformer Ron Finley. He’s been called an Eco-lutionary, a Guerrilla Gardener, the Gangsta Gardener…regardless of what you want to call him he is one thing: inspiring. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism. 

If you want to know more about Ron and his work, check out:  

https://ronfinley.com

https://www.instagram.com/ronfinleyhq

https://www.instagram.com/ronfinleyproject

So many politicians say our children are our future, so why do so few nations have a cabinet level position to represent their youth? As the Minister of State for Youth Affairs for the United Arab Emirates, Shamma Al Mazrui is revolutionizing the dynamic between youth and government. At the age of 22, she became the youngest government minister in the world. Now, five years later, she has powerful insights to share about fostering a nation’s youth, the power of listening, and how hope empowers.    

This is... A Bit of Optimism.     

If you want to know more about Shamma and the Ministry for Youth Affairs, check out:  

https://youth.gov.ae/en 

https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/cabinet-members/her-excellency-shamma-bint-suhail-faris-al-mazrui

 https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/government-of-future/youth

A small number of tech companies have amassed enormous power in our modern world. Do they wield that power responsibly, or do they abuse it to benefit themselves? I talked to Tristan Harris, “the closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience,” to better understand what we can do about our social dilemma. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.
 

If you want to know more about Tristan and his work, check out:

About | TRISTAN HARRIS

Center for Humane Technology

https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/

In show business, Ari Emmanuel is the consummate insider. The founder and CEO of the Endeavor agency, he represents some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He’s a mover and a shaker and a philanthropist. So obviously, I called to talk to him about…family. This is…A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Ari and his work check out:  

https://www.wmeagency.com/story/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/04/26/ari-emanuel-takes-on-the-world