OPTIMIST VIEW: Masks meet Metals, a Natural Solution for a New Age
Was I deceived, or did a sable cloud Turn forth her silver lining on the night? - John Milton By JURRIAAN KAMP Ancient knowledge can make a major contribution to the fight against the coronavirus. Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that found that the virus Read More...
Optimist View: A how-to guide on surviving mental firestorms and thriving in the midst of chaos
BOOK REVIEW of Emotional Inflammation: Discover Your Triggers and Reclaim Your Equilibrium during Anxious Times by Lise Van Susteren, MD and Stacey Colino By Kristy Jansen Inflammation (n): a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, Read More...
The OPTIMIST VIEW: Getting over Growth and Measuring what Matters
"Human Beings have been doing markets since we came down out of the trees, but not everything can be measured in markets." Hazel Henderson By Kristy Jansen How do you measure success? For some it might be lots of money, adoring fans or a powerful position. Others measure their riches in Read More...
These solar-powered barges can scoop up 50 tons of plastic from rivers each day
While removing the plastic waste that currently contaminates the ocean today will be crucial for protecting marine ecosystems, it is arguably more important that we stop any more plastic trash from entering the ocean. Fortunately for humanity, The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit taking on plastic waste Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: Why civil disobedience and ahimsa (nonviolence) triumph in the face of injustice
In the marketplace of ideas, does love still trump violence? By Kristy Jansen “We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe.” Anti-colonialism activist Frantz Fanon was fighting racism and black oppression in Algeria and Martinique when he wrote these words, Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: Managing self-care when things fall apart
The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy. - Pema Chödrön By Kristy Jansen Back in 2006 when I was about 6 months pregnant, I went in for my semi-annual teeth cleaning and dental check-up. Shirley, my dental Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: Emissaries - We love you!
The world is now too small for anything but fellowship The entire team at The Optimist Daily has been working overtime to ensure that we continue to deliver high quality, solution-based journalism in this challenging time. We are seeking not only solutions but also tools that can be of value to Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: Rebalancing Act, or the art of being human in 2020
“It occurred to me when I was thirteen and wearing white gloves and Mary Janes and going to dancing school, that no one should have to dance backwards all their lives.” - Jill Ruckelshaus BY KRISTY JANSEN In honor of International Women’s Day, March 8, 2020, I’ve been thinking about Read More...
Unencumbered: The Wonderfully Bearable Lightness of Leaving Screens Behind
Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true. - Charles Dickens By Kristy Jansen The Friday before Christmas, I left town for the week to meet up with my extended family to share the holiday. My Read More...
Red alert: How Extinction Rebellion woke the world up to the climate crisis
In October, the journalist and activist George Monbiot introduced Extinction Rebellion to the British press as a homegrown movement “devoted to disruptive, non-violent disobedience in protest against ecological collapse”. The hope was to turn a national uprising into an international one by Read More...