Serendipity and Optimism: Envisioning Progress and Building Happiness

Serendipity? Yesterday, I was facilitating a course on the Foundations of "Delivering Great Policy." I found it incredibly uplifting as I asked participants to meditate on how they would envision and communicate a vision of success for their future "great policy."

Today, my friend John Hagel tweeted a reference to an article by Arthur C. Brooks titled "How to Be Manifestly Happier".

I was drawn to Arthur's' advice on manifesting happiness and its connection to optimism.

Arthur Brooks highlights four fundamental principles, and after my course yesterday, one resonated deeply: "envisioning progress". Arthur states, "You will still have setbacks and bad days. But the progress toward happiness that you envision will be very noticeable in your fundamental outlook and sense of optimism. Others will notice it as well."

This perspective aligns with what I often advise: "Greet everyone with a genuine smile and an upbeat comment, and switch your regular person-to-person greeting to include "What's been the best thing in your day?"

John taught me to look for serendipity through his book "The Power of Pull" and through his personal example.

So, too, my friend told me that "serendipity is such a fascinating force, one we can definitely affect but not control. One has to be in the right place and time--though one cannot entirely know what that means (though one can pretty well assume that in some situations one is just wasting one's time, and that's to be avoided.). Theodore Roosevelt, whose life included exceptionally high and low moments, explained his journey as placing himself where things were happening and then things happened."

Last year, through collaboration with The Art and Science of Joy, I learned to incorporate more joy into my life each day.

Look for serendipity? Look out for joy? I do this daily. Do you?

Brooks' approach to manifesting happiness is beautifully in sync with the "Optimism Principle" published last week: "The answer to life's most pressing questions is optimism."

When we envision progress, whether in happiness, looking out for joy or "great policy", we create a pathway for personal success, become more infectiously optimistic and uplift those around us.

What small changes in your life could help you begin to envision progress toward greater happiness? What small changes in your life could help you start to visualise progress toward greater optimism?

"That Optimism Man" Victor Perton’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Read "How to Be Manifestly Happier" by Arthur C Brooks

Read "The Optimism Principle"

Read "Delivering Great Policy - Foundations"