“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
Oscar Wilde
Life is far from perfect, but there are lots of reasons for optimism. Setting positive goals for the future gives our lives a sense of direction and purpose. And although we face many challenges there are also lots of reasons to stay hopeful. By consciously choosing our priorities we can overcome issues, make progress and focus on what really matters.
Podcast: Anxious Optimists
On Anxious Optimists, best friends Mack and Kavita sit down to have real conversations about the things people experience in life, both the good and the not so good, but always (usually) through a positive lens. We’re full of anxiety, but we’re also full of optimism, and we’re here to reconcile those two emotions. Available on Spotify.
Netflix: Look Beyond
Look Beyond is a story of an athlete who plays rugby with just one eye and of two brothers, Ian and Philip McKinley, who join forces to overcome the problems deriving from Ian’s disability. Their story is meant to inspire all those young people who lose heart due to disabilities, loneliness and inner pain and never give up.
Yoga: YouTube
Yoga to Feel Your Best | Yoga with Adriene – Hop on the mat for this 22-minute yoga session designed to help you feel good! Stretch your body, tap into conscious breath, and get your endorphins kicking! No perfect scenario or prerequisite is necessary for this session. Meet yourself wherever you are and embrace it! Looking and feeling our best sometimes requires checking in on our thoughts about how we see ourselves and how we work with our bodies.
Meditation: YouTube
A 14-Minute Meditation for Optimism and Emotional Resilience – In this meditation to cultivate optimism, breathwork and meditation facilitator Jenna Reiss invites us to let go of what we can’t control and look for new, brighter perspectives. While we might not always be able to directly change what’s happening to us and around us, we can build up our own sense of emotional resilience so it’s a little easier to get through it all.
Playlist: Optimistic October
This Spotify playlist is bound to put a smile on your face, have you dancing around your house and keep you optimistic for the month ahead. You can listen to the playlist here.
TEDTalks: The power of optimism | Bert Jacobs
Optimism can take you anywhere…choose to focus on what is right with the world vs. what is wrong. Bert’s talk tells us that Life is good if you do what you like and like what you do. Bert Jacobs is co-founder and Chief Executive Optimist of The Life is good Company. The Boston, MA-based lifestyle brand spreads the power of optimism and helps kids in need by donating 10 percent of its net profits to The Life is good Kids Foundation. You can watch the talk here.
App: Happier
To explain the notion that drives Happier, its developers cite more than 11,000 studies showing the correlation between daily gratitude habits and a host of benefits, from better sleep and greater optimism to heightened creativity and productivity. The app features a gratitude journal with serotonin-boosting visual prompts, as well as interactive courses, and a digital community dedicated to positive feedback and affirmation. Available on iOS and Android for Free.
Read: An Optimist’s Tour of the Future – Mark Stevenson
When unexpectedly confronted with his own mortality, Mark Stevenson- a writer, deep-thinker, and stand-up comedian-began to ponder what the future holds for our species. Stevenson set out simply, asking, “What’s next?” and then travelled the globe in pursuit of the answers. Along the way, he visited the Australian outback to visit the farmers who can save us from climate change, met a robot with mood swings, and talked to the Spaniard who’s putting a hotel in space. While some might be overwhelmed, An Optimist’s Tour of the Future paints a wonderfully readable, and completely enthralling portrait of where we’ll be when we grow up- and why it’s not so scary.
Watch: No Planet B – The Day We Took the Dáil
An emotional observational documentary following three dynamic young Irish people who are passionate about climate change – and who are all on their way to Dáil Éireann to do something about it. Available on the RTE Player.
For the Children: Arlo the Alligator Boy
To find the father he never knew, optimistic Arlo leaves his swampy Southern home for New York City, making friends along the way in this musical adventure. Available on Netflix.
The Mindful Traveller 