I asked Psychologist and Author Brad Desmond what makes him optimistic.
Brad told me, "I cultivate optimism, in my own life, by counting my blessings and not sweating the small stuff.
"When that proves to be a challenge, I look outside of myself at the bigger picture. Over the last 200 years, we've abolished slavery. We've stopped sending kids down coal mines and allowed more people to vote. We’ve eliminated polio, fought discrimination, and almost all OECD countries have universal health care. Optimism isn't always our default setting, but it is the only rational response to being on this planet. "