Episode Description:

Is an average life a failure—or a hidden strength? In this episode of The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up, Arielle spotlights The Herds, a stunning climate art project featuring life-sized animal puppets parading through cities to raise awareness. Then, Karissa explores the beauty of embracing ordinary moments, with insights from psychologist Sam Goldstein on why a meaningful life doesn’t need to be extraordinary. Plus, they share other uplifting stories—from butter made from air to Kenya’s clean energy transformation.

Watch The Herds behind-the-scenes magic on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_herds

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Transcript:

Theme music

Karissa:

Hello and welcome to The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up. I’m Karissa.

Arielle:

And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in motion.

Karissa:

All right! Well, welcome back. We are here with another episode to share the solutions from Optimist Daily this week. How are you doing today, Arielle?

Arielle:

I’m doing well. It’s been a little bit cooler in Amsterdam, but I’m not complaining at all. It’s just been a gorgeous spring, so I’m really happy about that. And yeah, just keeping busy with life. How about you?

Karissa:

Well, it’s been fluctuating a lot—between rain and then jumping up into very hot temperatures. So that’s kind of a little weird, I guess, but all good over here.

Do we have anything to say for our “I’m an optimist, but…”?

Arielle:

Yeah! I think I’m going to keep it pretty simple and relatable this week. I’m an optimist, but I feel like I just don’t have time for everything I want to do. There are so many things I want to learn and participate in. I’m in a book club, I still want to keep on top of my crochet, I’d like to do more creative things—but yeah, there’s just no time for it all.

Karissa:

Absolutely. I feel that. By the time I get to the end of the day after working, and then usually I try to get in at least a workout… and eating… it’s just like, where did the time go? And there are people with the same 24 hours in the day, and they seem to be doing so much.

Arielle:

Yeah. It’s hard to keep the comparisons at bay, too, because a lot of my friends—I admire them so much—they’re doing a lot, they’re very accomplished. And it could just be the glossy sheen of highlights from social media. You know, not everyone shows what’s really going on in the background. But yeah, it’s hard to keep that comparison monster away.

Karissa:

That’s kind of similar to what I’m feeling this week, because I’m an optimist, but it’s hard not to try to be a perfectionist when it comes to showing the people you love how much you care about them—and going over the top sometimes.

Because this weekend is Mother’s Day, you see all these glorious brunches on social media…

Arielle:

Mm-hmm.

Karissa:

…that are served, and these great Mother’s Day experiences like taking your mom on a trip or something. So it’s hard not to feel like a perfectionist when I’m planning how to celebrate my mom and my grandma, because I’m close to both of them.

But our feelings kind of go with our solution about making a meaningful life out of the average. So I’m excited to talk about that a little bit later, but I want to hear about your solution first today, Arielle.

Arielle:

Yeah, OK. I’ll go ahead and jump into it. Today I’m going to be talking about an article titled Life-sized animal puppets lead a global climate call.

Karissa:

Wow.

Arielle:

Yeah, the imagery just in the title is enough to pull me in—but let’s just imagine what it would be like to witness this whole spectacle. Imagine you’re walking through your neighborhood and suddenly a herd of life-sized zebras and giraffes and other animals turns the corner.

They’re not actual animals, of course, but giant puppets made of recycled materials, being guided by local volunteers.

Karissa:

Oh, wow. And they’re life-sized, in the middle of the street?!

Arielle:

Yeah, exactly. It’s part of a project called The Herds—a moving public art installation that’s traveling over 12,000 miles across Africa and Europe. It started in Kinshasa in early April and it will end all the way up in the Arctic Circle this August.

Karissa:

Wow, that’s an incredible route. And I assume, like the title suggests, this is to shine a spotlight on climate change and conservation?

Arielle:

Mm-hmm. Yes, exactly. At its core, it’s a climate awareness campaign—but not the kind packed with graphs or doom-filled headlines. It’s about pulling on people’s heartstrings. The idea is to get people to feel the urgency of the climate crisis by witnessing something completely unexpected and beautiful take over their streets.

Karissa:

Yeah, that’s a really great idea because sometimes data—no matter how important—can be just boring. Graphs and statistics just don’t cut through a lot. But emotions really can. So this is really cool to hear.

Arielle:

Yeah, that’s what I thought too. One of the producers in Senegal, Sarah Desbois, said it’s about showing people there’s an emergency, but without lecturing them. And the good news is—it’s working. In each city, the animals parade through public spaces and communities are invited to be a part of it. So they’re not just spectators—they’re welcome to build puppets and also perform.

Karissa:

Oh, that’s really cool. So you can participate in it too, which is a really interesting twist. I imagine it creates a totally different connection to the message.

Arielle:

Totally. In Lagos, over 5,000 people came out, and in Dakar the streets of Médina filled with over 40 puppet animals. Then the show continued into a nearby fishing village the next day.

Karissa:

Yeah. Well, it’s kind of brilliant—merging art, activism, and local collaboration like that.

Arielle:

Yeah, it builds on another project you might have heard of called Little Amal—that was the 12-foot puppet of a Syrian refugee girl who walked across 17 countries since 2021. She represents stories of displacement and resilience.

The Herds is the next chapter—so it goes from human migration to environmental migration.

Karissa:

Yeah, and I mean, using animals makes a lot of sense. Migration, climate disruption—it’s all connected.

Arielle:

Right. And unlike so many campaigns that can feel kind of removed from people’s day-to-day lives, this one is literally walking down your street. Amir Nizar Zuabi, one of the creators, described it as a “living, breathing call to action.”

Karissa:

Yeah, exactly. I love that, because like you said, you can feel pretty disconnected from these animals that won’t necessarily be in your backyard—or on your street, I guess—but now they will be. And it’s definitely a conversation starter.

And because it’s co-created with the communities it visits, it doesn’t just land somewhere—it belongs there. That’s awesome.

Arielle:

Yeah, exactly. As The Herds makes its way through Spain, France, Italy, the UK, all the way to Norway, it’s collecting stories, building connections, and hopefully sparking a deeper kind of engagement around climate and community.

Karissa:

Yeah, it’s really rare to see something this ambitious that also feels this personal. And honestly, I’d love to see a giant giraffe puppet taking over my street!

Arielle:

Yeah, same! Unfortunately, The Herds won’t make it to Amsterdam, but they’ll be close by in the coming months—so perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to see it in person, and I’ll report back.

Also, while preparing for this recording, I looked up The Herds on YouTube and was absolutely captivated by their behind-the-scenes video.

Karissa:

Mm-hmm.

Arielle:

You can see all the puppeteers and artists working on every little aspect of the prototype animal featured in the video, which was a kudu.

Karissa:

Yeah? Wow. Well, it sounds like it’s such an intricate process. But wait—what’s a kudu?

Arielle:

Oh yeah, let me paint a bit of a picture. A kudu is a species of antelope, and it’s the one with those really impressive curly antlers. I don’t think I’m doing it justice, so I highly recommend checking it out for yourselves.

We’ll link The Herds’ YouTube channel in the show notes just in case. But if you watch the behind-the-scenes video, you can see how every detail is considered—from their wiggling ears to even a breathing tube.

And if you click through some of their most recent videos, you can see the drama of the parade in real life against all the different backdrops of the places they visit. The animals look impressively alive. And yeah, if seeing all these artists at work for the climate doesn’t move you, then I’m not sure what will.

Karissa:

Well, I love this. I saw the pictures in the story we shared this week, but I definitely want to go check out the video and see them in motion.

Arielle:

Yeah, it’s really cool. But yeah, I guess we should move on to your solution—because I’m pretty curious about what it is, since you mentioned it at the top of the episode.

Karissa:

Yeah. As we were talking earlier about all these aspects of our lives that maybe we feel aren’t extraordinary or perfect or whatever… my solution is how to tackle the actually not-so-big goal of having a meaningful life. It’s titled The beauty of being average: why a meaningful life doesn’t need to be extraordinary.

Arielle:

Interesting.

Karissa:

And I really enjoyed seeing this headline because I definitely would say I am average. I’m sure a lot of people feel that way too.

In today’s world, being average can feel like a subtle failure—from grade school gold stars to social media highlight reels. The cultural script suggests that to matter, we must shine. It feels like success is measured not just by achievement but by applause. And if you’re not optimizing, striving, or self-actualizing before breakfast… are you even trying?

But in this solution, as psychologist and author Sam Goldstein, PhD, reminds us, this constant push for the extraordinary can come at a cost. He says, “We’ve created a culture where being ordinary is seen as something to overcome.” But maybe it’s something to celebrate!

Arielle:

Yeah. Yeah, I agree. And like you said, this expectation to be extraordinary starts so early. I remember how important it was as a kid to get those “good job” stickers in class and things like that.

Karissa:

Yeah. Kids are expected to be high achievers from the start—with packed schedules and pressure to excel.

Arielle:

And when you add social media’s curated perfection into the mix, it’s easy to feel like simply showing up isn’t enough.

Karissa:

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I open up my Instagram and see someone having the perfect moment—like an acceptance to a great school, or a graduation from said great school, or a big job promotion. If you go on LinkedIn, you’ll see a fancy wedding—all the time. So it’s easy to feel like you…

Arielle:

Mm-hmm. Like you’re falling behind.

Karissa:

Falling behind, for one—yeah. Or like you’re not being extraordinary and having this perfect life.

But Goldstein invites us to reconsider this. Because what if the life you have is not something to optimize, but something to inhabit? In a world of chasing viral moments and visionary legacies, there’s a quiet power in being dependable, kind, and present.

And he has this great quote where he says, “Being average doesn’t mean you lack ambition. It means you value the here and now. It means you recognize that being a human being every day matters more than being dazzling once.”

Arielle:

Yeah, you don’t need a memoir deal or a side hustle empire to live a good life.

Karissa:

There are so many other simple ambitions you can seek—which actually aren’t so simple in the grand scheme of things. I mean, you can be a great friend, a reliable coworker, a person who remembers birthdays and makes a strong cup of coffee.

And maybe these titles aren’t headline-worthy moments, but they are the backbone of human connection.

Arielle:

And I would argue that all these moments are headline-worthy in a way—at least here at Optimist Daily. This week we have a great solution on how to listen to others like a therapist. And just the other week, we also had a solution on how to make a great pour-over coffee.

Karissa:

Yeah, exactly. It’s so true. The beauty of an average life—it’s a great reminder that small steps to change your life or the life of others are a solution. And it makes the world a better place.

Arielle:

There really is so much dignity in the day-to-day.

Karissa:

Yeah. And if we look around, we’ll see ordinary people holding up the world—teachers, caregivers, bus drivers, sanitation workers, nurses.

Arielle:

And their names may not be trending globally, but their contributions are invaluable.

Karissa:

Definitely. And as Goldstein points out, when we glorify only the exceptional, we overlook the very people who keep our society functional and compassionate.

There’s a certain beauty in repetition and in doing what needs to be done—even when no one is watching. Just folding the laundry, showing up to work, listening to a friend like a therapist—these moments may not earn awards, but they build a life worth living and something to be grateful for.

I love to say that gratitude is especially important for even just the little things. If you look around, you’ll realize that all these small things really do make a great life.

Arielle:

Hmm. This is a great reminder that as a society, we need to rewrite what success really means.

Karissa:

Yeah, because the pursuit of greatness can quickly turn toxic. Perfectionism often leads to paralysis, and comparison can turn self-worth into a moving target. But the truth is—we just can’t all be above average.

Arielle:

That’s just not how math works.

Karissa:

But we can be fully human—and that’s no small thing at all. A meaningful life doesn’t demand a spotlight. It welcomes presence over prestige and kindness over clout.

Goldstein notes that there’s nothing wrong with wanting to grow or improve—but if you believe you’re only worthy when you’re winning, you’ll miss the joy that comes from simply being.

So maybe a successful life is one where your dog is really happy to see you when you come home, or your friends feel safe with you, and your home has a lot of laughter.

Arielle:

Yeah, I love this. Let’s stop glorifying burnout and start celebrating contentment.

Karissa:

In the end, we don’t need to be exceptional to live meaningfully. We need connection, purpose, humor, and rest—and a little compassion for ourselves and for others as well.

Arielle:

This is really sweet, and it actually makes me feel a lot better about not having all the time in the world to do everything I want to do.

Karissa:

Yeah, me too. But we had some other solutions that had me really optimistic.

Arielle:

Mm-hmm. And they include: Bartering is back: how to trade your skills and goods without spending a dime, Butter made from air? This startup is spreading carbon-conscious innovation, How to listen like a therapist with four ways to build deeper connection and trust, and Kenya on track for universal electricity access by 2030, powered by clean energy and community reach.

Karissa:

And we also have How middle-of-the-night wake-ups might unlock your most creative ideas, Wildlife returns to Eaton Fire burn area, offering a symbol of hope and resilience, An expert’s tips for coping with Mother’s Day after losing your mom, and Daily peanut doses may help adults with allergies build tolerance, new study finds.

Arielle:

If you want to start your day off right next week, make sure to subscribe to our free daily newsletter to get our solutions straight to your inbox.

Karissa:

Yeah, and we also have more on our social channels. You can find us at @OptimstDaily on all of our platforms, including Threads, Pinterest, and Bluesky. The only difference is on X, where we are @OdeToOptimism.

Arielle:

We’re a small team of optimists working hard to bring you positive news. If you want to support our mission of putting optimism out into the world, click the link in the show notes to find out how.

Karissa:

And support doesn’t always have to be financial. Even just recommending our podcast to a friend, leaving a positive review on Apple or Spotify, forwarding a link to a friend, or sharing a solution on social—anything would be a big help.

Arielle:

It was lovely being here with you today, Karissa, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend—and that all mothers, mother figures, bonus mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers… all mothers have an amazing Mother’s Day.

Karissa:

Yeah, absolutely. I’m looking forward to being back next week with more solutions.

Both:

Bye!