The Optimist View
Our weekend edition long form journalism explores in-depth solutions to global issues.
Happy Holidays: A gift list from The Optimist Daily
“True giving from the heart is an expression of love.” Cara Stein With the holiday season in full swing, it can be difficult to navigate gifting in a way that celebrates loved ones while upholding our environmental and ethical values. Choosing gifts that are thoughtful, sustainable, and Read More...
The Art of Connection: Finding ourselves through others
“We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.” - Brené Brown By Kristy Jansen Preparing for a second holiday season in the pandemic era, I have found myself seeking a deeper understanding about what makes Read More...
Book Excerpt: 'Aspire Higher' - Becoming a solutionary and upholding your truest values
“Being a solutionary will make you feel even better than being an astute constructive decision-maker, because you’re taking others’ feelings, concerns, and ideas into account when crafting your solutions and actions.” - Ken Lindner As we head into the holiday season, the themes of love, Read More...
Samhain ─ Inside the pagan traditions of Halloween’s ancient precursor
“The magic of Samhain is that of endless possibility. Since we return to the beginning, we can begin anew in any way we wish.” ~ Michael Furie BY Marvin Lanes Haunted houses, scary movies, and terrifying costumes certainly make Halloween a dark holiday, but did you know that tomorrow, Read More...
Flights of the soul: The Indigenous origins of the psilocybin experience
”Get strong with bare feet on the ground and with everything that is born from it.”- Maria Sabina BY Arielle Tiangco A couple of weeks ago in San José del Pacifico, a mountainous town in Oaxaca state, Mexico, I emerged from the dark womb of a tiny volcanic-stone hut, drenched in a Read More...
The enduring optimism of Star Trek
“It isn't all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning.” - Gene Roddenberry Something kind of magical happened this week and we wanted to take a moment to celebrate. One of the entertainment world’s most famous space explorers actually traveled into Read More...
Gut Instincts—Health and the microbiome
“Our body teaches us that health lies in balance and harmony, rather than in conflict and fighting.” - Ilchi Lee BY Amelia Buckley Whether choosing a sandwich option for lunch or accepting a new job offer, we’re all familiar with gut instincts. Although the term “gut instinct” only Read More...
The Optimist View: Finding a fresh food solution with the help of the world’s saltiest plants
“Daily, our eating turns nature into culture, transforming the body of the world into our bodies and minds.” - Michael Pollan BY Amelia Buckley What do you picture when you hear the word halophyte? No, it’s not an obscure insect or the name of Elon Musk’s new futuristic car. Halophyte Read More...
The Optimist View: The Green Divide
"Neither cities nor places in them are unordered, unplanned; the question is only whose order, whose planning, for what purpose?” - Peter Marcuse BY Amelia Buckley If you stand outside in the heat of summer, you’ll notice that things are considerably less comfortable on concrete or Read More...
The Optimist View: How to support someone through grief
“We bereaved are not alone. We belong to the largest company in all the world一the company of those who have known suffering.” - Helen Keller Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. For many 9/11 victims, a voicemail was the only way to communicate Read More...