“Thank you for making me think you’d come to visit, anticipating seeing you gave meaning to my day,” I told my friend as she had to cancel on me last minute.
I wasn’t being sarcastic, I meant it.
When you’re home with a baby all day and when leaving the house for a walk is an act of true accomplishment, looking forward to a visit from a friend can make those long hours of nursing (how can a newborn eat so much?!) feel a little lighter. So when Britt told me she’d come uptown to see me, I got so excited!
But I also completely understood when, close to her visit, she had to cancel. Hearing about her already busy day, I would’ve been impressed if she was able to squeeze me in. So I told her not to worry and, again, I meant it.
Truth be told, it was starting to get late, and I was beginning to get tired. The more I thought about it, it was probably better she visited another day. But I realized that anticipating her visit was what had brought some extra light to my day. It was something to look forward to and I shared that with her, not meaning to make her feel awful at all. It was the truth.
"Thank you for giving me something to look forward to. Now I’m happy to look forward to something else completely. My bed.
Why am I sharing this with you? Because I’m finding a lesson here to learn when it comes to climate change. Not that we should cancel on our friends, but that we should learn how to deal with missed expectations.
A friend told me once that:
“The secret to happiness is dealing with missed expectations.”
As the author of Solve For Happy and the founder of One Billion Happy, Mo Gawda knows what he’s talking about. And ever since he said that to me, I’ve given it a lot of thought.
Dreaming big is important, especially when it comes to co-creating a just and sustainable world. As we covered in a recent issue, without the belief in the outcome there’s no reason for taking action at all. And since a lot of the work we’re up against can sometimes seem impossible at best, it’s imperative that we have the courage to dream a little big (and crazy!)
However, the trick lies in not giving in to disappointment or despair when things don’t turn out the way we think they should. Or when the wins we’re looking for aren’t coming fast enough. Or when the people around us aren’t giving us the response we’d expect.
Because those times will come and it’s in those times we have to reflect on the journey, understand our wins (even if they might seem insignificant or small,) find new excitement, and look for (yet) another way.
As a stubborn optimist, you understand that nothing rarely happens how you expect them to and that progress can look very different from what we first planned. It’s in treating those “hurdles” and “detours” with curiosity and an open mind that we can redirect our focus and keep going.
You’re not giving up. You’re not lowering your aim. You simply understand the spirit it takes to stick with this in the long run. To not give up.
And as long as you keep kicking, the ball will keep moving, and new exciting wins will soon be explored on the horizon of change.
In practice:
The next time you feel that inkling of hopelessness come over you, remember this:
Remember that your anticipation led to excitement, which led to action, which led to some kind of change. And that although things may not have turned out how you hoped them to, something did happen, so try your best to find out exactly what so that you can gain new excitement for whatever comes next.
Questions worth asking yourself:
Why did things not turn out the way I wanted them to?
How could this, potentially, be even better?
What lessons are to be learned right now?
What wins can we capitalize on moving forward?
How did the efforts — despite the outcome — change the way I look at things, my belief in our ability to get things right, and my trust in people and the movement?
So… what’s next?
I hope I’m able to help close this year with a sense of childish excitement.
Because no matter how we feel about this year’s COP, politics, or the current state of the world, we are moving forward. Changes are being made and more and more people are waking up to the realization that those changes could actually lead to something better.
So, truly, what’s not to celebrate? Let’s get excited about another year of courageous, committed, and groundbreaking action!
What is worth celebrating?
So many wins did appear on the climate justice path this year and they all deserve a toast at NYE! Here are two incredible lists of good news in 2022 that are worth remembering!
Coming in 2023
I’ve been writing this newsletter for almost a year and a half now and so much has changed for me these past few months (2022 was the year I became an author, professor, and mother!!) so I figured it was time for some change in The Climate Optimist as well!
Expect this moving forward:
1. A new structure to the newsletter.
Every other week I will share a thought worth pondering (like this issue)
Once/a month we will release a piece for our new OIA series. The Optimist In Action Series will feature people, organizations, and companies creating optimism on the ground. They will be filled with inspiration and feel-good for all of us to be inspired and to remember that - yes - change is possible! These features will be written in collaboration with Matthew Gutierrez, a Climate Optimist contributing writer.
Once/a month I will share a challenge, a way for you to put climate optimism into practice!
Every week I will (of course) share climate optimism to celebrate around the world!
2. The Climate Optimist Master Class
A project I worked on in 2022 that I’m yet to share with you all is the master class I recorded in June. It exists of 10 sessions that will bring you on a journey of healing, empowerment, and inspired action.
The master class will go live early in 2023 — keep checking in on these newsletters to stay up to date!
3. A Book Tour
The book continues to make its way around the world and it makes my heart so warm to see it bring joy and meaning to people’s lives (please keep tagging me and sharing.) In 2023 I plan on doing some book tours here in the US to bring the book and its message to schools and companies around the country.
If you’re interested in having me come speak, please contact me!
Climate Optimism
Historic deal to protect nature at COP15!! (YAY) Nearly Every Country Signs On to a Sweeping Deal — The New York Times
Los Angeles officials ban polystyrene foam products in move toward ‘zero-waste’ city — Los Angeles Times
Vietnam is being gifted $15.5 billion to help transition away from coal — Climate Change News (as learned in Zahra’s newsletter)
That was it from me for this year! I wish you a magical NYE and an exciting start to 2023. I hope to see you back here in the new year and in the meantime, feel free to share this newsletter with a friend, get a copy (or five) of The Climate Optimist Handbook, and of course — follow me on social media so that we can be friends!
With love and optimism,
— AT