Optimism Is a Power Move
“‘Twixt the optimist and pessimist
The difference is droll:
The optimist sees the doughnut
But the pessimist sees the hole.”
Let’s get something straight: optimism isn’t naivety.
It’s courage.
It’s saying, “I see the broken systems, the burnout, the fear—and I still believe we can build something better.”
When you lead with optimism, you’re not ignoring reality. You’re choosing which part of reality you want to feed. That choice? It’s not fluffy. It’s not cute. It’s radical.
Because optimism is a form of resistance. And for women who’ve been taught to play small? We already speak the language of hope.
It is more than dressed-up denial
It’s easy to write off optimism as blind faith or good vibes only.
But I’m not talking about Pinterest-board positivity or toxic cheerfulness. I’m talking about radical optimism. Practical optimism. The kind that sees the problem clearly and still chooses to believe in a better outcome.
Optimism isn’t pretending everything’s fine. It’s trusting that everything could be better—and showing up to help make that happen.
That’s not fluff. That’s fire.
What if the boldest response to fear is… Optimism?
When we talk about overcoming fear, we tend to lean into grit. “Push through. Power up. Get over it.”
And sure—sometimes that’s what we need.
But sometimes? The most rebellious, soul-centered response to fear isn’t grind—it’s belief.
It’s believing you are worth listening to. That your work is worth doing. That your effort counts even if the outcome is uncertain.
Optimism says: I see the fear, and I’m still going. That’s not a mood. That’s a muscle.
Optimism is my edge
People have told me my whole life that I’m optimistic, like it’s a quirk. A personality trait. A sunny disposition.
But optimism isn’t something I have. It’s something I choose.
It’s what lets me teach, lead, create, and rebuild—especially when things fall apart.
It’s what lets me meet uncertainty with both fear and faith.
It’s the edge I carry into every new beginning.
Optimism is not my fallback. It is actually my strategy.
Let’s build something better—together
This post is a preview from my upcoming book, Lead with Heart: Reclaim Your Voice, Live Your Values, and Lead Without Losing Yourself.
If it resonated with you, I’d love to stay in touch.
💌 Join my mailing list to get early access to new chapters, behind-the-scenes updates, and a front-row seat to everything coming next.
And remember—optimism isn’t naivety. It’s strategy.
As Noam Chomsky said: “Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.”
That’s why I wrote this book. To help us believe in better—and build it together.
P.S. About that doughnut quote…
For years, I credited that line to Oscar Wilde in my leadership presentations. It sounds like Wilde—clever, a little cheeky, deceptively deep.
But it turns out?
“The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist sees the hole.”
— McLandburgh Wilson, not Oscar Wilde
Florence McLandburgh, writing under the pseudonym McLandburgh Wilson, penned the now-famous doughnut quote in the early 1900s. A writer of speculative fiction and patriotic verse, she published humorous and insightful poetry in newspapers and anthologies of the time.
Consider this my public correction—and a reminder that sometimes the real gems come from unexpected places. (Much like optimism itself.)
