Radical Optimism
Positivity is an act of courage. Its recognition goodness is ever-present, combined with a lived belief in a better future, is bravery embodied.
My stepdaughter, Nichole, jokes with me about my “toxic positivity”. We both laugh about it, and sometimes I either turn it back on her, or mock her “toxic negativity”. While this is all in good fun—from time to time—I have been guilty of positivity’s dark cousin. So, in a world desperately in need of positivity, aka radical optimism, let’s start by taking a quick look at what negativity, positivity, and their toxic sides mean:
Toxic Negativity: Focusing on the things that hurt, drag down, do harm, divide, are wrong/bad, etc., while ignoring—or minimizing—the presence of what is good, beautiful, and true, and insisting others should adopt this “sky is falling” mentality.
Negativity: Focusing on the things that hurt, drag down, do harm, divide, are wrong/bad, etc., while recognizing the presence of what is good, beautiful, and true.
Toxic Positivity: Fixating on the bright side of the matter, and what is good, beautiful, and true, while ignoring/minimizing anything that isn’t, and insisting others should adopt an “always look on the bright side of life”perspective (cue the classic Monty Python song).
Positivity: Not only centering on what is currently good, beautiful, and true—while simultaneously recognizing and working with all that isn’t—but also believing in, and building toward a brighter future.
One of the key things to recognize here is:
Evidence supporting both negativity and positivity is always present. And while we are each somewhat biased by our nature—and how life has nurtured us—we also each have agency over which perspective we choose.
This is essential to remind ourselves because:
Akin to how our bodies (generally) go where our eyes direct them; our lives—individually and collectively—go the direction our perspectives point us.
This is why, day-by-day, moment-by-moment, I choose radical optimism—aka positivity. (Quick shoutout to Dua Lipa for inspiring this phrase with the title of her upcoming album: Radical Optimism.) “Radical” comes from the Latin word for “root”, meaning it gets at the heart of a matter—and optimism is at the heart of humanity. Point to any good in our society, and radical optimism is why we have it. From public education, to health care, to civil rights, to democracy, to social security, to public transportation, to freedom of religion, to freedom of speech, and on it goes. The good parts of our life together—imperfect as they may be—are only here because courageous people, who went before us, chose radical optimism. They chose to believe in, and fight for what is good, true, beautiful, and loving.
Please note that for every one person who did this in a newsworthy way, hundreds of millions did so without any headlines—and all of them matter equally. In other words:
Your choices, perspectives, beliefs, and actions matter!
Naturally, this leads me to how today is Easter ;) Aside from wondering why that’s relevant, you might find yourself thinking: Didn’t we already celebrate that? Yes! And, most years the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on a different Sunday from the Western Church (this year, today is the day). I bring that up because Easter is a big part of why I’m a radical optimist. It lets us know:
Love is the most powerful force in the world.
Life outlives—and comes after—death.
Positivity outshines negativity.
Abundance is the nature of reality.
We live in a grace-soaked world.
We all have wounds—and while they heal, our scars don’t get washed away. They remind us joy and grief, hope and hurt, and love and loss go together. They coexist. The beautiful includes, and gives meaning to, the brutal.
These Truths I believe Easter proclaims to us, have branded my heart with radical optimism. What is more, I’ve found all this goodness—love, life, positivity, abundance, grace, and beauty—are energies in the world. Like gravity, the air we breathe, and electromagnetism; they’re invisible, but there.
This means: Love, life, positivity, abundance, grace, and beauty aren’t so much things that you do—as they are forces you let flow through you by opening yourself up to, and believing in them. This means, goodness isn’t something one generates via effort, like an engine; instead, goodness is a power you tap into—allowing it to fill and radiate from you—like a conduit. In reference to Jesus’ resurrection, Richard Rohr puts it like this:
The resurrection is not Jesus’ private miracle; it’s the new shape of reality. It’s the new shape of the world. It’s filled with grace. It’s filled with possibility. It’s filled with newness.
Full honesty. This is not something I used to believe. Most of what I share here, are things in the last decade, or so, I’ve “tried on for size”, so to speak. And, you know what? Experientially, intellectually, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually, they keep ringing true and fitting me—just right.
I invite you to give it a try, and regardless, can’t wait to hear from you!
Hugs & Love,
Lang (aka “Dr. Love”)
Before you go, beloved reader, do you know anyone this could bless or benefit? Please share this offering with them—and click the 🤍 button so I know this resonated with you. I also always love to hear from you in the comments below. You are amazing, and I hope you have a beautiful day!