As I write these words, our country is in the middle of a war, and divisiveness is growing.
Quite frankly, it is hard to be positive.
But can you still be optimistic?
I believe that you absolutely can.
Positivity is circumstantial. It is present-focused framing. Last week, for example, I attended the wake of one of our team members’ spouses. It would have been unhelpful to tell this person to “stay positive” or “not dwell on the negative.”
Optimism is future-oriented. It is the belief that things can get better. It is often coupled with the realism that things are hard—and still, there is a belief that improvement is possible.
Even then, I would not recommend telling someone in grief to “be optimistic.” That’s something they have to arrive at on their own. And when they do, it often becomes the first step forward.
Right now, the lack of optimism feels like a weight we are all carrying.
The Power of People
As I’ve reflected on this year, I’ve realized I’ve struggled at times to maintain a positive attitude. That said, I remain optimistic.
I still believe in the power of people doing things with and through other people. When I look at our business, I see incredible growth from our team. While our industry is often misunderstood, I regularly meet people from around the world who, by and large, want to do the right thing—for each other and for the planet.
And when I look at my kids’ generation, I see enormous potential. They are growing up with technology I could not have imagined at their age. While the risks and downsides are real, I also see a growing movement of young people using technology to think critically and independently.
Will that critical, independent thinking continue in a cultural moment where both sides keep getting louder? It won’t be easy.
But I am an optimist. I think it will.
In my next post, I’ll share more thoughts on the future as I address the class of 2026.
The future is (still) bright.