The Power of Optimism

by Victor Perton, Author of "Optimism: The How and Why"

Professor Sandra Levitsky, University of Michigan

“I believe there is tremendous power in optimism. And I'm not talking about emotional power or psychological power. I'm actually talking about real political power."

Shannon Togawa Mercer

"Optimism is political power."

Nicola Sturgeon when she was Scotland’s First Minister

“I’m a fully paid up believer in the power of optimism in politics.”

Alex Steffen, Futurist

 "I think, now more than ever, choosing and voicing optimism is a powerful political action."

Dr Steve Weitzenkorn, Co-author, The Catalyst Effect

“Great leaders, regardless of their role or title, invigorate with optimism to achieve extraordinary results. Optimistic leadership has the power to galvanize — to catalyze — and be a force for driving an organization to new heights, turning performance around, and rebuilding momentum. 

Dr Krystal Evans

"Optimism is empowering. It’s the belief that no matter what challenges you face, that you can make a difference. That your voice and your actions matter. It underpins resilience, determination and ambition."

Natalie Dattilo, PhD MHA

 "Optimistic thinking is a powerful tool that allows us to reframe a situation. It’s a thinking strategy that empowers us and helps us build confidence. It can breed a sense of personal strength and is the foundation of resilience. And like anything, with practice you can get better at it. Our current circumstances provide the perfect opportunity to do just that."

Cole Graber-Mitchell, Student

 "The value of optimism isn’t that it’s a measured prediction of the future. Instead, optimism is valuable as a source of power in the present."

Cecilia Hilder, Institute for Culture and Society

"It is our obligation to show those around us the truth and the power of optimism."

Tommy Stephens in "The Optimistic Leader: How to stay resilient in the face of adversity"

"Optimism is a source of power. An optimist believes that the outcomes of events will generally be positive. Even when it seems like nothing is going their way, the optimist manages to look beyond the surface of adversity and find within it a deeper meaning. Optimism is the key to supercharging your resilience. And the best part? Anyone can cultivate this power—it just takes some practice!"

Great Race: "THE POWER OF OPTIMISM: HOW TEAM BUILDING CAN IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS"

"In any business, having an effective team is critical to success. But what makes a team effective? And how can you create an environment in which team members work together harmoniously to achieve common goals? The answer lies in the power of optimism. When team members are optimistic about the team’s ability to accomplish its goals, they are more likely to be engaged and productive. Optimism is one of the key driving forces behind effective teamwork."

Rae Snape

 "I am a Radical Optimist because I believe in the brilliance and creative power of young people and teachers to make their schools, society and world a happy and even better place!"

Patience Stewart

 "Radical optimism is a powerful thing!"

George Osborne, Hume City Council

"Optimism powers resilience"

USA Senator Tim Scott

"I understand the power of hope and optimism because I grew up in a world where it was all we had."

Dr Margit Henderson, Author of Optimistic Aging: from Midlife to the Good Life, an Action Plan

“Personal optimism empowers you to positively impact your life and the world and become willing to take action to improve your life.”

Maria Govers, Director Business Operations at GenWest

 “I like being optimistic and being surrounded by optimism. Optimism creates positive energy and inspires me to find solutions and opportunities. As a leader, I find myself using positive energy created by my optimism to inspire, lead the way and make work fun empowering the team to find solutions and opportunities."

Rebecca Jarvis

"Optimism and gratitude are a powerful combination. When combined we can seize the day and look forward to a future of infinite opportunities."

Simon Prunster, Energy & Emissions Specialist, Yarra Valley Water

“Optimism is the foundation of resilience, and resilience breeds determination. In combination these traits are powerful. Optimism hard wires you to search for a positive outcome, even when faced with a challenge. Resilience empowers you to return to the challenge, over and over again, even when it feels overwhelming. Determination provides the drive to solve the jigsaw puzzle. If this approach is successful and you overcome a challenge by delivering a positive outcome, then you can be part of a solution rather than perpetuating a problem. I try to leverage these traits in my professional life. Working in the field of energy and emissions reductions, my role (with the help of inspiring people) is to deliver positive economic outcomes with environmental benefits. Now that renewables are widely accepted as the cheapest form of new energy, I sense an increasing appetite to accelerate the clean energy transition from consumers, corporates and (most) governments. This gives me hope. I am optimistic that as a society, we will pull together with resilience and determination to address the biggest challenge we collectively face, the decarbonisation of our energy systems and economies.”

Matt Joski, Sheriff, Kewaunee County

 “Optimism is the engine that powers resiliency. While there are many character strengths which we all possess, they are all deficient unless supported by and deeply rooted in Optimism. We are impacted in everything from personal relationships to physical health by the existence or absence of Optimism. This powerful trait is not one founded in the denial of reality or refusal of circumstances, but rather the unyielding belief that even our darkest hours bring with them hope and empowerment.”

Dr Emily Edwards, Immunologist

"Being optimistic gives you the resilience and power to overcome life's challenges empowering you to live, learn, lead and ultimately make a difference to the lives of others."

Morni Chen, The Future of Power

 “We have a choice between fear and love. Optimism is an expression of love, a higher energy and so it is more powerful than fear.”

Professor Vijay Varadharajan, Global Innovation Chair in Cyber Security

”The cornerstone of my optimism comes from the power of love and will that make ordinary people do extraordinary things."

Carolyn King, Host of The Happiness Hour

"After helping people learn how to increase their happiness for over ten years, I’ve come to learn just how powerful optimism is in achieving that happiness. Happy people tend to be more optimistic, and optimistic people tend to be happier. So, one of the key ideas of increasing happiness in our lives is to increase or boost our optimism. And that’s a skill we can learn just by making different choices."

Sister Jayanti, European Director of the Brahma Kumaris

“Just as nature goes through its cycles, and day will definitely follow the darkest night, although there are many things that feel very dark at the moment, there is a conviction that light will not only penetrate the darkness but banish it - so that the day will begin. Legends and myths of every civilisation have remembered that the power of good ultimately conquers evil. This is the optimism with which I hold a vision for a better world.”

Nizar Juma, Kenyan businessman and founder of The Blue Company Project "focused on fighting corruption”

"Positive power brings many benefits. I found that more and more and more, as I became more positive, I became more optimistic, enthusiastic about what I was doing. I now find that I cannot do it if I don't have a passion for something. I need to believe in what I'm doing. And once I believe, I become passionate. Once I become passionate, I become optimistic. And so I do lots and lots of things because I'm positive. I'm optimistic."

Saint Josemaria Escriva

"Christian optimism is not a sugary optimism, nor is it a mere human confidence that everything will turn out all right. It is an optimism that sinks its roots into an awareness of our freedom, and the sure knowledge of the power of grace."

Catherine Misson

 “If you look through the eyes of children you see limitless possibilities that tantalise the curious spirit with which they came into the world. How do we preserve that innate capacity? Optimism: enthusing our youth with an empowered view to the horizon no matter the challenges right in front of them. This is the source of our greatest potential as a society - optimistic citizens who believe they can and will craft a future worth inheriting.”

Shyla Raghav, Vice President, Climate Change at Conservation International

"The incredibly powerful voice and commitment of young people makes me optimistic about our chances of solving the climate crisis."

Catherine Barrett, Director of Celebrate Ageing.

"Optimism is essential to healthy ageing and longevity. Research shows that people who internalise ageism or only think about their ageing as loss, live on average 7 years less than those who are optimistic and think about the positive aspects of their ageing. Optimism enables people to act in ways that are empowered – to continue to throw themselves into life with enthusiasm." 

Amanda Noz, Co-President at the Professional Women's Network Nice - Cote d'Azur

"Optimism is the key that unlocks engagement, boosting productivity and ultimately business growth. Why? Because the optimists have faith in the future and that empowers them to take actions in the present that create future successes."

Dr Parag Shirnamé

“Optimism is the powerful understory that helps leaders to stand tall above the industry canopy. Mixed with a strategic buy-in by the team into the overall plan, optimism from the leader can be a major motivator for the team members. Clarity in each member’s role in jointly achieving the results is paramount. It doesn’t take much. A simple acknowledgement by the leader can galvanize the team to work miracles.”

Miriam Feiler, co-founder, bizzi.co

“Optimism drives every entrepreneur. The deep belief that we can, and will “make it”, whatever our “it” is, enables us to push through the obstacles. Optimism helps us believe that our next venture will thrive, even after a spectacular fall. In this way, you could argue that ‘small business’ isn’t actually the engine the powers most economies in the world. It is Optimism.”

Professor Janek Ratnatunga, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants, Australia

"On a Cloudy Day

In a Stormy Night

The Power is with You

Optimism’s Might"

Susan Lewis

 “I feel as if I have indeed been given a gift; a sense of optimism, that I and others have the power, and responsibility, to make a difference.”

Diana Hodgson

 “Optimism is a very powerful mindset and driver for the positive change that is possible!”

Kimberly S. Reed, Author of “Optimists Always Win! Moving from Defeat to Life’s C-Suite”

“Gratitude is the rocket fuel to our resilience. You don’t expect to become an optimist overnight. It takes practice and intention. Eventually, your self-talk will contain less self-criticism, less negativity and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you. When our state of mind is generally optimistic, you are better able to handle life in a more constructive way.”

Mary Berry, Communities of Respect

“What makes me optimistic? Being surrounded by amazing people who work selflessly to help others and pave futures of opportunity, inclusion, resilience and strength within our communities."

Huma Munir in "Islam and Optimism"

"Optimistic people are more resilient. When they face adversity, they do not give up easily. They look at challenges and realise that perseverance is key. This is why believers are commanded not to give up on praying."

Geffrye Parsons, CEO of The Inclusion Imperative

"As someone who spends much of his time and energy promoting better inclusion of minority talent, it is natural to find one's reserves of resilience occasionally running low. But I always remain hopeful and optimistic - so much so that I actively supported the #ChooseHope campaign pioneered by The Stress Management Society in 2022. That is not only because I believe in the justness of the cause, and the arc of history bending in its favour, to quote Martin Luther King - but also because I believe in its fundamental logic. All progress is rooted in celebrating the value of difference - and I am fervently optimistic that rational behaviour, which understands and embraces this, will ultimately bring continued progress."

Associate Professor Jane Munro AM GAICD

"Internal resilience and realistic and practical action reinforce my optimism, and, when in the thick of difficult times I recall two quotes: ‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind?’ And, ‘Come what come may, time, and the hour runs through the roughest day.’

Read more of these inspiring quotable quotes in "Optimism: The How and Why" by Victor Perton, CEO of The Centre for Optimism.