"How a penny made me feel like a millionaire"

Gratitude.

We often fail to appreciate or to communicate just how grateful we are for where we find ourselves in our life's journey. But there is always something to be thankful for, something to overcome, and something new to experience. We hope that for you those experiences are always viewed with optimism. Only then will they be as rewarding as Tania Little's journey from post-Chernobyl Russia to life in the United States.

Please watch "How a penny made me feel like a millionaire," a Ted Talk by Tania Luna. Grab a tissue, smile, enjoy and yes, be thankful.

Make your own rituals

On a certain day for 15 years, Steven Addis has stood on a corner in New York City with his daughter, Sabina, in his arms. During this Ted talk, Addis describes, in 15 photos,  how he has made, and will continue to make memories with his daughter. He encourages viewers to "get in the photo" and make memories with your family and loved ones for yourself.


What struck me most about this video was the act -- the ritual -- that the father has created. We allow ourselves to become participants in rituals that have been defined by religions and governments, and even corporations. Consider Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day, among others. Think even of your birthday. Hallmark has made certain that it is celebrated with a birthday card.

What would those rituals look like if we created the memory of the occasion with our own ritual, one that adapts as we mature and our lives change, but is always practiced. What if we allowed ourselves to stray from the expected and be creative with how we celebrate the milestones in our own lives. What if we took  control of the experiences that make our journeys through life more pleasant?

Think of how much more fully we might enjoy those around us if we gave ourselves permission to celebrate ordinary, perhaps daily, acts. Taking time to be there, in the present, is truly a gift to share.

Steven Addis: A father-daughter bond, one photo at a time, via Ted. 

Of barbershops, service clubs and community

A week or so ago on Facebook, Julien Smith shared a video from Tedx Somerville: Clarence Smith Jr., "Education by Barbershop." He said there was genius at about 5:35 in the talk.

I think there was genius throughout, especially for a blog like Experience Optimism that talks about the power of belonging to a group.

The culture that is learned in a weekly visit to a barbershop is similar to what one learns when they attend a weekly service club meeting. Talking to peers, sharing ideas and opinions, and swapping stories establishes values and contributes to an unwritten social and moral code.

Visiting your favorite group, whether it is a barbershop or an Optimist Club, when you travel enhances your worldview and enriches the stories that you share when you return home.



Stories aside, both are examples of community and today, both are being replaced by social media. Instead of gathering as a group and learning together, we learn independently in our homes, offices, cars and coffee shops as we connect with others online 24/7.

Are the relationships as rich? More important, without face-to-face interaction do we risk losing the opportunities to make a difference through community service where we live, work and raise our families?

I fear we do. How about you?

Happiness and productivity

This Ted Talk is funny, poignant and optimistic. Using humor, psychologist Shawn Achor talks about "The happy secret to better work" as he takes us from his childhood, an obviously happy time, to his days at Harvard.

Despite the prestige, he explains that being at Harvard is not as blissful as getting in because once we achieve one goal, our brain pushes us to do the next best thing.

Harvard students, therefore, continually pressure themselves to do better and better. Challenging? Yes, but important in our development. We should never settle, but there are ways to cope with the pressure and derive true happiness from our achievements and through that happiness, we are more productive.

Please listen to Shawn Achor's presentation at TedxBloomington, filmed in May 2011 and uploaded in February 2012 and share your thoughts on happiness, gratitude, and productivity.

Jane Fonda and what comes next

In this Tedx Talk, Jane Fonda coins a number of apt phrases speaking about "The Longevity Revolution" and "The Third Act," but what touched me most was her assertion that most persons over fifty are happier because they have come to terms with their lives.



Is it possible that we can live in this world for so many years, constrained by others views of what we should be and then only when we start to review our lives do we let go and become our true selves? If so, it is truly a blessing that we are given that third act to discover what is real.

As I started off the year searching for direction, asking where do I take this blog from here, this video has helped me realize that what I need to do is be more authentic about how I relate to the experiences I have with optimism. How have conducting, reading about and promoting such activities changed me? Do such activities positively affect others? Do they truly make a difference or are they merely a means to occupy our time? Is occupation the purpose of living?

I'll be fine tuning the format in the next few weeks with the above questions in mind. Please feel free to comment; let me know if I'm heading in the right direction. And as always, please tell us how you have been touched by optimism.