Activating Your Optimism | Julie Owens | TEDxProvidence

Key Concepts

• Brightider: Someone who actively seeks out the good in situations.
• Dark Pragmatist: A pessimistic or cynical outlook on life.
• Relentless Optimism: A persistent and unwavering positive attitude.
• Placebo Effect: A phenomenon where a fake treatment produces a real effect due to the belief in its efficacy.
• Social Enterprise: A business that prioritizes social impact alongside profit.
• Momentum: The force or speed of movement; in this context, the progress made towards a goal.

The Speaker's "Why"

The speaker, Julie Sullivan, recounts an experience from 25 years ago when a partner at a management consulting firm revealed, using a book about the "secret language of birthdays," that Julie was born on the "day of the dark pragmatist." This revelation caused an existential crisis, as Julie did not identify with that label. Despite her husband's reassurance, the label stuck with her. This experience, coupled with subsequent life challenges, including multiple moves, raising four children, and a thyroid cancer diagnosis, led her to realize the power of mindset. She could choose to view life through the lens of a "dark pragmatist" or a "relentless optimist."

Early Life and the Loss of a Sibling

Julie shares that she wasn't born an optimist. The death of her baby brother Jimmy when she was seven exposed her to pain and loss at a young age. She vividly remembers the difficult times and her parents' sadness. Despite this early exposure to pain, her parents poured love into her and her other brother, Johnny. She acknowledges that optimism isn't a cure-all, but believes everyone can try to find some good, even in the face of adversity.

Finding the Good: A Case Study

Julie describes a period when her oldest daughter was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and spent a month in Hasbro Children's Hospital, unable to eat or drink. During this dark time, Julie struggled to find optimism. One day, while watching pictures from the Chicago Marathon, she impulsively asked her daughter if she wanted to run the marathon the following year. Her daughter agreed, and this goal provided a spark of hope. Despite the challenges, including surgery, nutritional deficits, and a stress fracture, they both completed the Chicago Marathon in October 2019. This experience demonstrated the power of creating good in a time of darkness. Her daughter is now pursuing a career as a surgeon, inspired by the doctors who helped her.

Three Ways to Find the Good

Julie outlines three strategies for cultivating optimism:

1. Look for and Believe in the Good: Referencing Harper Lee's quote from To Kill a Mockingbird ("People generally see what they look for, and they hear what they listen for"), Julie emphasizes the power of perception. She cites the placebo effect as evidence of the mind's ability to influence physical well-being. The placebo effect, derived from the Latin "I will please," demonstrates that believing in a treatment can lead to real improvements, even if the treatment is fake.
2. Surround Yourself with the People: Julie advocates for connecting with "change makers" – individuals who actively work to solve problems. As the CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse, a nonprofit that incubates and accelerates social entrepreneurs, she is surrounded by people working on issues like climate change, food insecurity, and health inequities. She encourages finding and connecting with such individuals to foster optimism.
3. Start Small: Acknowledging the limitations of individual action, Julie suggests focusing on creating momentum. Drawing from her marathon training, she uses the mantra "forward is a pace," even when progress is slow. She suggests viewing change as a relay race, where individuals contribute a part, rather than bearing the entire burden.

Synthesis/Conclusion

Julie Sullivan's message centers on the power of choice in the face of adversity. While acknowledging the reality of pain and suffering, she advocates for actively seeking and creating good. By choosing to look for the light, surrounding oneself with positive influences, and starting with small actions, individuals can cultivate optimism and contribute to positive change in the world. The core takeaway is that even in the darkest of times, it is possible to find and create good, transforming adversity into strength and purpose.