Are We in a Crisis of Pessimism? Cynicism? What Does Being Optimistic Mean Anyway? (and here's how to give it a try). With Bill Burke, The Optimism Institute

Our guest is Bill Burke, host of the Blue Sky podcast and founder of the Optimism Institute. Previously, Bill was the CEO of the Weather channel and Founding General Manager of Turner Classic Movies and president of TBS.  Today we chat about his definition of Optimism…the belief that tomorrow will be better than today and that we can play a role in making it so. Our mindset and our actions can, in fact, play an active role in making things better.  He shares that an optimistic outlook inspires us to rebound from life’s inevitable setbacks, helps us not get crushed by them, and invites us to see the small joys that are always in and around us. He discusses the direct connection between gratitude and optimism. And, he says, that as optimistic as one might be we, of course, must realize that bad things are going to happen. However, it's how we relate to them, learn from them AND, most importantly, how we have more empathy for others who might have dealt with a similar situation.  When I asked him what he thought about the mess we’re in today and how we can be optimistic, he said," if you only read the news, you'll think that things have never been worse. But if you read history, you'll realize that things have never been better." As a historian, he’s got some pretty compelling data points on this. Every generation, he said in a commencement speech he gave recently, leaves a mess for the one that follows. BUT we never count all the good things, all the progress that we’ve made. We tend to take the successes or accomplishments for granted.  He shared a recent Harvard study that found that exposure to just four minutes of good news can make you 32% less anxious and 18% more optimistic. I think you’ll find some really interesting nuggets here. As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential and Meditation Studio, the five star app. Unlock 30 days of Meditation Studio for free at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio Transform your brain's potential with 15% off Muse. Use code UNTANGLE15 at checkout or visit choosemuse.com/UNTANGLE15  Resource: https://www.theoptimisminstitute.com/ Find the Blue Sky Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices