Optimism is like magic – it has the power to make the impossible a reality because it gives folks to courage and motivation to try. If there is one thing we believe everyone should guard with their life, it’s their optimism and so we asked some of the most optimistic folks we know to talk to us about how they developed their optimism.

Kaylee Cahoon

My life’s work is really a metaphor for how all things work in life. Physical Movement is a pattern or sequence, influenced by your architecture, your movement development from birth, your beliefs, influences of past experiences both positive and negative, your relationship with gravity, and your self image. How a person organizes a movement is how their brain interprets what options are available, and which one would be best for that moment. Often in movement dysfunction, the brain has decided that there is only one choice, and it may even be a painful one. My work is to explore all of the possibilities in order to give a person as many options as possible. An example of this would be when a person feels restriction in turning their head, I might ask them to think about turning the back of their head instead of their face. This shift in ‘how’ the rotation occurs puts another possibility in their toolbox. The awareness of the head having both a front and back, allows the head to turn a little differently sequence wise. Read More>>

Nick & Pheren Tamura

We get our optimism from the people. It’s the joy on someone’s face when they take that first bite, the stories shared over a meal, the returning customers who bring their friends and families, and the kind words that remind us why we started this journey. Every interaction—whether it’s a quick thank-you, a thoughtful review, or a smile exchanged at the counter—fuels our belief in what we’re doing.

Food has a beautiful way of bringing people together, and witnessing that connection gives us the energy to keep going. It’s the community around us—our customers, collaborators, and supporters—that fills us with hope, inspiration, and the drive to grow every single day. Read More>>

Juan Mercier

My optimism comes from the power of dreams — see it, believe it, achieve it. We’re only on this earth for a short time, so I believe in making the most of it, doing what makes me happy, and finding passion in everything I do. I move through life with curiosity, and I’ll admit, I’ve always been a little “delusional” in the best way — it feels like a superpower that lets me channel the energy I need to turn anything I want into reality. Read More>>

Morgan Burrows

Optimistic is the adjective my friends most often use to describe me, it’s a trait that consistently comes up when I share stories about my personal life or business. I grew up a small Texas town as a gay man, initially unaware that being gay might be a concern for those around me. Fortunately, I never faced major negativity from peers, though family was a different story. Without delving into the complexities of my family dynamics, I connect my optimism to a deep need to hold onto something hopeful and forward-looking. Read More>>

Julines Lopez

My optimism doesn’t come from an easy life, but from everything I’ve faced and overcome. It comes from having gone through difficult times, having had to bear losses, tough decisions, and uncertain paths… and still keep standing. I learned that every trial taught me a lesson, and that even on the worst days, there was something to be thankful for.
My optimism is a daily choice, a way to honor my history and continue believing that the best is always yet to come, even when it doesn’t seem so. It’s not ingenuity, it’s resilience. And it’s also my way of inspiring others not to give up. Read More>>

Cait Chock

I never know how to properly react when people tell me, “You’re so positive! How are you able to be so optimistic?” A sentiment I DO get a lot, probably mostly because I’m a people pleaser who smiles a lot. I don’t know how to react because I’m torn between giving them what they want to hear (a giant smile, a thank you, and offering some uplifting message) and then the honest answer.

The truth is: I’m mentally ill, a dark sense of humor is my preferred coping mechanism, and I’ve lost so many things that were incredibly important to me that I’ve kind of stopped caring…so I just smile and laugh my way through life. Read More>>

Mackenzie Knight

I am not, and have rarely been, someone that would be described as optimistic. I have struggled. For years I actually expected the worst, always. But it was my mom, who no matter how much I fought it, would believe in me and the best possible outcome. She would celebrate with me when things did work, even if not according to the original plan, and helped keep my spirits up by pointing out that it was a journey I was on, not a final destination I had already reached. Read More>>

Derek Piotr

I think I’ve always had a natural bent towards being optimistic – there is a lot of pain in the world, but there is also so so much beauty – the sunlight on a maple branch, the curtains in a restaurant, the way a stranger looks at you on the street. I also think I just have a personal inner conviction that drives me and I can’t actually connect that to any image or experience out in the world – it is part of my nature. That is its own fuel for optimism. Read More>>

Megan Wilson

I often get called an optimistic pessimist. Because of experience, I prepare for the worst in both my professional and personal life. In my personal life, at a young age, I experienced dramatic changes and traumatic losses. My parents have been through 6 marriages total, I’ve lost three of my older siblings, and found myself in dangerous romantic relationships. I don’t take any second for granted and find that being a positive light in someone else’s life is a powerful thing. I also believe that its one of life’s greatest rebellions–to live fully, to dream, and to keep your head up in spite of the negative forces always at play. Life will always be hard but it’s also always beautiful. This is my first source of optimism. Read More>>

Clarissa Kumala

This sounds strange, but I think I started being optimistic during high school exams, the A Levels. Before every test, my friends and I would be so hopeless, but I just kept on saying ‘the test is already done, this is just what happens before it!’ From then on, I just applied that to basically every hurdle I’ve faced in my life, in uni, etc. For example, I’ll think, ‘this assignment is already done, this is just what happens before it,’ or when it comes to a personal issue, I’ll think, ‘there’s a time where I’m okay and at peace with this, this is just what happens before that.’ It reminds you that where you are right now is just part of the natural sequence of events it takes to get to the end goal and to not overthink the process. Can you tell I’m a fan of time travel? Read More>>

Rebecca J. Jones

We have all had struggles. How we choose to deal with those struggles and everyday life varies from person to person, depending on what they have learned about themselves from past challenges. I have learned that the more I focus on negativity, the harder it is for me to achieve tasks/goals. So I look for the enjoyable aspects – however small those may be! It reduces stress and anxiety to go into things with a smile and focus on having fun. I try to let the little things go and am ok with the fluidity of life. Letting the wind carry me where I need to be. Read More>>

Freddy Long

My optimism comes from within because it is tied to my self-confidence. I had that epiphany when I was presented with this question. Confidence innately breeds reassurance on one’s desired outcome. As a filmmaker, I have to be optimistic on the outcome of the motion picture I am creating to lead the men, women, cast and crew with every decision I make and that takes confidence. Even confidence in delegating responsibilities. Read More>>

Hannah Kwon

I remember once hearing that there’s a difference between optimism and hope. Optimism being a little more likened to maybe personality or temperament, perhaps erring more on “you’re just kind of that way” type of deal. But hope- hope was defined more by the intentionality, the active fight to have hope in the midst of things that one can’t control, like life happenings. That’s a long winded way of me saying, I’d like to say I have a deep cultivated hope that’s really important to me and if I’m being really honest, has saved me and is necessary for me to cope with and get through life. Read More>>

Thomas Ng

I actually grew up dealing with a lot of bullying, so making friends didn’t come easily at first. But my mom taught me how to turn even the darkest situations into something brighter. Over time, I started seeing optimism not just as a mindset, but as a form of survival. In a world where there’s plenty of hurt, choosing hope feels like an active decision. And honestly, in a weird way, I think it’s a privilege to be a pessimist—so I choose not to take that privilege. Read More>>

Shannon Gibbs

My optimism comes from seeing actors of all backgrounds show up week after week, leaning into their authentic voice, even when the path feels uncertain. What a powerful mirror of what it means to be human.

At Pathways, we live at the intersection of artistry, vulnerability, and craft. I’m so inspired by the courage it takes to be resilient through challenges in this industry, to keep improving, and to honor your own process rather than compete or compare, when everything in our culture insists you join the rat race. Read More>>

Steve Eros

I grew up around a lot of negativity, not directed at me, it was just a general tone and it defined the personalities I was surrounded by. That somehow shaped me into the optimist I am today. I tend to expect people to do the right thing and for plans to work out. Of course, plenty of times they don’t, but honestly I like that about myself. I’d rather go into situations expecting the best with a backup plan than assuming things will fail. It just feels like a better way to live. Read More>>

Edon Terez

To be completely honest, I’m not that optimistic at all. I have major depression, so there are many days where I feel like I might not succeed. It makes it even harder when I’m stressed over bills – I have to feed, shelter, clean, and care for my service dog Anubis, my cat Jersey, and first and foremost for myself. It doesn’t sound like it, but when you’re disabled and can barely do most jobs, making ends meet in this kind of economy is a bit impossible. Read More>>

Lindsay Knox

I have been an optimist for as long as I can remember! Growing up I had a happy childhood, despite major life events like my home being burned down in a fire and my parents divorce. I was raised to believe in resilience and hope. My parents did a wonderful job of fostering positivity through global travel, allowing me to explore my interests and artistic pursuits and via every day activities that promoted joy. I always felt the glass was half full, and at a certain point in my adolescence decided to focus on the positive, willing good things to happen. To my delight, good things came and continue to – even when things in life feel hard to overcome. My Sister loves to tell me that I live under a lucky star, but I think it’s really just me choosing to say “Yes” and trusting my intuition. Read More>>

Nina Harrison

My optimism didn’t come from ease.
It came from perspective.
From choosing to look for light — even when things felt heavy.
From learning to meet life with structure, not struggle. Read More>>

Noah Kline

My optimism comes from a mix of early influences and lived experiences. Growing up, I was extremely lucky to have people around me such as my parents and friends, who were an inspiration and always showing a forward-looking mindset. When I started working at Loveland Laser Tag as a teenager, I didn’t think of it as the start of my career, but I quickly learned that showing up with energy, saying yes to challenges, and looking for solutions instead of problems opened doors I didn’t even know existed. That attitude led to my partnership with Jeff Willy and eventually to building Time Emporium, Looking Glass and many other ventures. Read More>>

Adam Gomez

Well, I’m an “Optimistic Pessimist” to be honest. I get fairly sinical and pessimistic as things come my way, but somehow I always find it in me to see bad situations as something that can be weathered, and that a blue sky awaits. I’m not certain exactly where it comes from, but I always find it. Maybe it’s an obsession of always wanting to dig to find what ‘needs’ to be found. I think subconsciously I may believe that finding that shining light of positivity is crucial for survival. Read More>>

William Gunn

I’ve always been a cup half full type of guy. I think I was taught from an early age that there’s no reason that you can’t do something if you put the time and effort in, and most importantly have the patience for celebrating the small wins. I also think that being pushed on stage at a young age allowed me to gain affirmation and validation from strangers too. My parents would always push me out of my comfort zone, signing me up for acting camps, musicals, or classical music showcases, so I was enticed to be on stage and in the spotlight many times growing up. I think the combination of the hard work, patience, and time that was required to perform these pieces in front of large crowds, forced me to constantly think “you’re going to do great” in order to perform my best. That mindset of “there’s a bigger reason I have to do these boring drills that will eventually pay off” had to be my mindset to get to where I wanted to go. I think I’ve just always subconsciously known that the only way to achieve big dreams, was to stay positive and work as hard as I could. Read More>>

Lauryn Pyatt

Optimistic is a quality that people have used to describe me throughout my whole life, even when I was a child. In my own experience, I notice that optimism sprouts from passion and joy. One of my biggest passions in life are people, and one of the things that brings me the most joy is connecting with people. Being an extrovert, it fulfills my heart and having positive interactions with those around me is uplifiting. My optimism stems from my joy and passion, but ulitmately, it’s from God. I am forever thankful that I have such an appreciation for this life that I have been given because I can remember when I had no desire for it. Although I was always known as being optimistic, I severely struggled with my mental health during my early years of high school. I was dying in the darkness, but Jesus called me to live in His light. I didn’t know Christ until I was 18, but knowing His love has transformed me. He had plans for me way before I even acknowledged Him. The love I have for life comes from God, and I am grateful for this optimsim, passion and joy. These are all blessings from above. Read More>>