When I was in my early twenties, a close relative of mine was murdered on the street by someone he didn’t know. It was a random act of violence that threw me into a spiral of sadness, fear, and negativity. I saw danger around every corner. The future was dark; the past was a fairy tale that had morphed into a cruel joke.
But the days passed, and I muddled through. At some point, when I got up in the morning and looked in the mirror, I saw hope again in the eyes that looked back at me. And I started the next phase of my life.
I am a believer in the power of optimism, the drive and creativity that possibility can engender. I believe in it not the way a child would, but knowing full well the perils and pitfalls that the world can put in your path.
Today there is much to be anxious about when we get up each day. Uncertainty reigns as rapid change disrupts expectations and social norms. Global leadership is fractured and economic conditions fluctuate widely. Specters loom, from climate change to cyberterrorism. The relentless pace can make you want to curl up in a corner, wary of what might come next.
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