Betting on the Brightside: Developing and Fostering Optimism

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.

Rachael Edwards

I’ve always been a person of faith. It has definitely been a faith walk leaving my former career and pursuing a new career field along with focusing on my own business, Classroom Bloom. I definitely had to be optimistic when making this decision. I was ready for something new, and I knew if I stayed another year in my former field, then I’d be holding myself back from so much more. I had to look within and trust my instinct and I bet on myself! It has been one of the best decisions I could’ve ever made. Read more>>

Kobe Johnson

My optimism ironically comes from a very dark place in my life. I used to have a very pessimistic outlook on life until I found my happiness in music. With music I’m able to go back to that dark place in my life, grab something from it, translate it into my next song and come back to the mindset I have now. Knowing how far I’ve came from that place, that I can go to that place, and that I can come back from that place keeps me very optimistic. Read more>>

Karissa Nabbie

My optimism comes from my faith in God. I know God will ensure what is meant for me will always be for me. I’ve seen Him work out awful situations for me, bless me with what I was dreaming of, & just never steer me wrong. Any dream or vision placed in my heart was placed by Him. So I just try to keep my mind thinking of how great He will show me it can get! Read more>>

Sue Snape

Hope, Gratitude and Faith are other terms that I consider “friends” with Optimism. I feel they all live together and help each other get through challenging spots. When one or two of them is low, the others must be strong to pull them out of the dark spots. This is necessary to get through tough hours, days, weeks… years? Yes. They are a community of support. Read more>>

Emanuel Dominguez

Regardless of whether I’ve had a good or bad day, I always remind myself that tomorrow brings a fresh start. The way I see it, I am regularly presented with two choices. After a bad day, I can either choose to stay upset and do nothing to improve my situation, or I can choose the proactive path and waste no time to get things back on track. Of course, there are more significant challenges that may require more time and effort to overcome, but what I’m referring to here are the minor disruptions to our everyday routines— dropping your iPhone while walking across a field of grass, only to discover the screen still ironically landed face down on a rock. Or perhaps when you’ve spent hours researching and learning about a company you’re excited to be interviewing for, just to find out there was someone more qualified they will be hiring instead.  Read more>>

Melissa Wikoff

When you start a business completely from scratch, you cannot have success without optimism! You must believe in yourself, in your specific skills, and that there is a need and a want for what you have to offer. You have to trust that it’s going to work out, because that positive energy is the spark that ignites it all. In my line of work, I am treating many people with tinnitus, who have been told many times before that there is nothing that can be done to help them feel better. I believe that my optimism that we will find a solution is the first step in many patients finding relief. Read more>>

Sean Kinsey

My confidence about my future has always been there since I was younger because I knew the things I wanted to achieve were very important to me, even in the moments of making bad decisions or mistakes, they were always learning lessons that I used to motivate myself to achieve those goals. I always felt like the underdog, so I always have something to prove, mainly prove to myself that I can achieve anything. Read more>>

Becca Moir

I do not like mean or rude people. If are going to bring in negative energy into the salon, then you will be unwelcomed. Life is full of up and downs and its tough at times, But thats life and Im always here to listen and help you, but you cant not be mean or rude about it. I am always encouraging people to be mindful of others and to realize everyone has something going on. Just because you cant see it on them doesnt mean theyre struggling. We are all here to be there for one another and if you dont get along thats fine can be still kind about it. Read more>>

Emma Dalenberg

No matter how down bad I feel sometimes, I always end up finding my way back to a sense of equilibrium and calm, a state of chilling, so to speak. Ups and downs in life seem to be inevitable, and I find optimism in the fact that if everything up must come down, everything down must come up. Maybe even not in this lifetime, but eventually. Read more>>

Chaysen Beacham

Short answer, Good parenting and a healthy relationship with God. I used to equate failures or missed opportunities as a result of imposter syndrome or ineptitude. In the past couple of years I’ve had to recalibrate the lens in which I choose to experience life through. Now days, I am more honest with myself and what I truly want. This has freed me from being bound by my own and others unrealistic expectations. Read more>>

Ameerah Saine

My optimism is deeply rooted in the journey that life has offered me so far. Time and again, life has shown me that my track record contains more wins than losses. This isn’t to say that I haven’t faced adversity or hurdles; I most certainly have. But those challenges have served as milestones in my personal and professional growth, ultimately propelling me towards success. Read more>>

Michael DeCamp

I suppose my optimism comes from seeing a lack of it in the world and realizing that’s what the world needs. I struggle with being optimistic myself but I want to live a life of positivity and success and I want that for the people around me. Sometimes you have to be the change you want to see in the world Read more>>

Abby Meadows

In my life, optimism has painted itself as a snowball rolling down hill. The more optimistic I am, the easier it is to gather even more as it rolls along. Of course, there have been times when I hit a tree and a bunch of the snow falls off, but I keep the faith that life is good and someone comes along and starts the ball rolling again! Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had plenty of reasons to give up. I’m a small business owner in a rocky economy making jewelry in an over saturated market. I have plenty of reasons to throw my hands up in the air and walk away… but I can’t. I love what I do too much and even more, I love the people I make jewelry for. Read more>>

Mac Love

Wow – I used to get asked this question in high school all the time, and I’m now realizing my answer has never changed. The reason for my optimism is because I have this strange habit of instantaneously imagining everything that can wrong, so when something does I’m usually prepared and grateful it’s never the worst case scenario. That helps me respond to situations quickly, effectively, and with a positive attitude. Some people call that “level-headed.” I used to say I “have a low threshold for maximum enjoyment of life.” I think both are true. Read more>>

Kristen Smith

My optimism is a precious gift from the universe, nurtured by the rich tapestry of life’s experiences that have profoundly defined my journey. Read more>>

MAGEN SEVILLA

This is one of my favorite questions! If you know me, you know I always come from an optimistic point of view! Of course, we all have days that don’t go our way, but for me I have always tried to be in the mindset of “everything always works out!” and “everything always in my favor!” I have always been a positive person, but up until my job out of college, I really didn’t have a focus on mantras for myself until I came across Gabby Bernstein! It sounds ‘woo woo’, but really every thought we have is and CAN be our reality! So living in the land of “everything always works out for me” has really kept me moving forward even on the toughest days! Read more>>

Alvin Parker

My optimism, that I sometimes even question where it all comes from, stems from all of the successes that I’ve accomplished since I’ve started. Everything that I wanted to happen or certain things I wanted to accomplish, they all have come true (whether in the way I imagined it or not). Read more>>

Tasheika Bowen

When I was younger, I used to see the glass as half empty. I was an overthinker, who always carried “what if” in the back of my mind. Most of the time when I would dread a situation, the outcome never usually turned out as badly as I thought it would. It was usually just a lesson to help me grow or do better the next time. Read more>>

Intelligent Jelani

My optimism is rooted in a deep knowledge of myself developed through introspection. My optomism is also drawn from observing the success stories of others. The future is open for those you understand their innate talents and honning the ability to the opportunities for prosperity that lie in the roadmaps created from the personal narratives of people worldwide. Read more>>

 adalberto angulo

In Carpinteria, my optimism found its roots. It was a straightforward, honest outlook, backed by a strong work ethic and discipline. When I stepped into the world of storytelling and filmmaking, I faced my share of trials. Yet, my optimism remained a constant, grounded in a clear sense of where I wanted to go and a dedication to putting in the work. Read more>>

Andrea LeTard

I’ve always been a big believer that positive energy leads to happiness, great outcomes, and as some would call it, “luck.” Waking up each day with an optimistic attitude, I’ve seen the greatest things happen in life. Of course, it’s not easy to do every single day and there will always be situations and days that bring a cloud over my head, but I try to remember pushing forward and having a good attitude leads to a full, cheerful, fun, successful life. Read more>>

Gregory Walker

Making is an inherently optimistic act. For as long as I can remember, making things – whether music, art, objects, architecture – has been a core, central part of my being. My family, especially my grandparents, had a profound impact on how I see the world. Theirs was fundamentally shaped by living through the Depression and two world wars. Through everything, the kind of optimism they radiated was inescapable. All I can do is hope to embody a fraction of what they possessed. Read more>>

Brielle Gines

My optimism stems from my hope for the future. I am a believer in God and He has promised that the plans He has for my life are good and that anything counter to that will not be in that path or plan. I am optimistic because everything that has happened within my life, even in the troughs and valleys, have all helped to shape my perspective into a lesson or finding that has later benefitted me. I am optimistic because everything is being so finely and meticulously orchestrated by God and I am grateful for what will happen next, every step of the way. Read more>>

Maeve Higgins

My optimism comes from years of feeling like I was never enough in the industry, often times musicians and artists are shut out early on being told their dreams are futile or that they will not make it big. Life thrives on art, and art makes life worthwhile and that is where I get my optimism! Life would be nothing without the arts, and everyone does their part to make the world a more beautiful place. Read more>>

Rain Young

My optimism is deeply rooted in my faith in God, to be frank. I hold a firm belief in the concept of manifestation. To elaborate, “manifestation” refers to the process of transforming an idea into reality or creating something tangible. In my perspective, the quote “knock and the door shall be open unto you” signifies the act of manifesting your desires. When you invest effort, akin to knocking on a door, God will respond by opening it, thereby granting you the things you’ve diligently worked for or manifested. Thus, I have faith that anything I genuinely manifest or work hard for will be granted to me by God because I’ve fulfilled my part of the equation. Read more>>

Ernie Wagner

Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life. Be optimistic in yourself. Believe in yourself. Be willing to fail. Failing is just another lesson to success. Don’t get upset when you fail, but look optimistically that you just learned something. At the end of day, I love to see the faces of our customers who try our rum. Most are surprised at how good such a small batch rum can be. My customers cement my optimisim. I was unsure how well a rum distillery would be accepted in a “moonshine” area, but it has exceeded all expections. And as good as our product and business is now, I’m optimistic that the best is yet to come. Read more>>

Charmaine Turner

My optimism is directly tied to my relationship with Christ. I’ve always been a positive person with a positive outlook, but when life throws curveballs at you (which is inevitable), you MUST be rooted in something bigger than you. As my relationship with God has grown, optimism has become second nature. No matter how dark things make look, I hold onto Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Read more>>

Natalia Spadini

From Faith. In life, in people, in music. Faith that is not necessarily related to a religion, but to love, the feeling that rules the world, to hope and to compassion, in the fraternity of the human race. Read more>>

 Jim Zver