optimism

Bernard Chiira founded the Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust or AT4D. It is an accelerator that has supported 45 startups from 11 countries. Many of the startups aim to help people with disabilities access the technologies they need – including wheelchairs.

Health & Safety

How do you keep calm and carry on in a world full of crises?

7:23am April 17, 2024

by Gabrielle Emanuel

We asked folks whose job it is to make the world a better place: How do you find the inner strength to keep plugging away in tough times? And what advice do you have for fledgling activists?

Don't mope, have hope: Global stories from 2023 that inspire optimism and delight

7:37am December 24, 2023

by Gabriel Spitzer

We found joy in mail-order chicks, soothing lullabies, a celebration of long-lasting love, the magic touch that can calm a grumpy child (and even a stressed out adult) and beach day in Mogadishu.

Edgard Gouveia at the PxP Festival in Berlin, where he organized a circle dance. He's a believer in the power of games and is currently developing a global game "to get communities to come together and use hands-on actions to restore the environment."

Health & Safety

Why a game in which you look for a real, live pink elephant could help save the world

7:02am July 09, 2023

by Ari Daniel

That's a community-wide game Edgard Gouveia remembers from his boyhood in Brazil — and uses as a model in his efforts to heal the world through gameplay.

Nassim Haddad greets his customers and life with unflinching cheer.

Health & Safety

How to laugh in the face of sorrow: Insights from a Lebanese sweets shop owner

4:28pm June 28, 2023

by Ari Daniel

Nassim Haddad has seen his share of disaster and loss. At 79, he says of his philosophy: "I start again from the beginning. I start from zero. I [am not] afraid from anything."

Health & Safety

We asked, you answered: What's your secret to staying optimistic in gloomy times?

7:00am April 30, 2023

From watching the sun rise — yeah, it's a cliche but it works! — to dancing to techno music to doing good for others to just plain smiling, readers share what gives them optimism in times of trouble.

"When I see the patterns of nature and the way that nature treats me, it's all about optimism. The negativity comes from humanity," says Edgard Gouveia Jr., who co-founded a group based out of Brazil that uses games to mobilize large crowds to solve intractable problems.

How do you stay optimistic in spite of it all? 6 hopeful souls share their secrets

2:39pm April 21, 2023

by Ari Daniel

They're activist and advocates from Brazil, Colombia, India, Kenya, Lesotho and the U.S. We wanted to know: How do they stay positive in the face of the world's many problems and woes?

A seaside scene in Indonesia. As countries like Indonesia move up the income ladder, some health conditions improve — but new threats, like non-communicable diseases, loom large.

How To Reduce Human Suffering: 3 Lessons From A Seminal Public Health Study

1:56pm October 16, 2020

by Nurith Aizenman

The authors of the "Global Burden of Disease" report track the toll from every conceivable cause of death or disability. This year they also share intriguing solutions that give cause for optimism.

Even if optimism doesn't come naturally, it can be taught, researchers say. Therapists can help you practice reframing your expectations, to cultivate a sunnier outlook.

Optimists For The Win: Finding The Bright Side Might Help You Live Longer

7:00am September 01, 2019

by Patti Neighmond

Pessimists may suspect this finding, but researchers who tracked the health outcomes of thousands of adults across many years found optimists were much more likely to reach 85. Optimism is teachable.

Be the sunflower and you may live longer.

A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life

4:25pm December 07, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

This study doesn't prove that optimism actually causes better health or postpones death. But it joins a growing body of evidence suggesting that they're fellow travelers.

Eliza Coupe as Nina and Jay Harrington as Phil in USA's Benched.

Arts

Documents, Not Institutions: On 'Benched' And Not Sweating The Future

9:42am November 06, 2014

by Linda Holmes

A solid new USA comedy serves as a reminder that it's important to support the things you like, whether they're odds-on blockbuster favorites or not.