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title: "Daily Inspiration: “Optimism is the action that will surprise you with its’ potential!”"
canonical: https://jimcarroll.com/2021/08/daily-inspiration-optimism-is-the-action-that-will-surprise-you-with-its-potential/
updated: 2021-08-06T10:10:32+00:00
---

# Daily Inspiration: “Optimism is the action that will surprise you with its’ potential!”

*“Optimism is the action that will surprise you with its’ potential!”* – Futurist Jim Carroll

![](https://jimcarroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/OptimismandSurprise.jpg)

Optimism is a verb.

I think optimism must be my favorite word because, on the mornings in which I have a bit of a mental block while pulling together my daily quote, it’s the word that floats through the surface of my morning coffee. And to me, optimism has long been a verb, a catalyst for action, a mindset for the initiative.

It’s been used continuously within my stagecraft and my writing for as long as I can remember.

![](https://jimcarroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/OptimismIsYourOpportunity.jpg)

Optimism tells the story of how I think:

Optimism is at the essence of my thinking every time I approach the river on the 11th tee box or face a challenging swing across the same river on #6. What’s the point of thinking about potential failure?

Optimism has long been a focus of the continuous twists and turns in my career and personal reinvention. That’s why it’s featured within the subtitle of my latest book: *Now What? Reinvention and the Role of Optimism in Finding Your New Future.*

To me, the title implies that optimism is a form of action, a conscious decision to move forward. It is never something that I simply accept should it somehow come about; optimism is something I try to nurture, fertilize, and feed.

That’s why, when I am talking about future trends, I always try to focus on the upside, and not dwell on the downside. My stage joke has long been that I can’t come out and say, ‘*Guess what! Your future sucks!*‘, since that wouldn’t be great for business! But I try to outline to my audience not only the trends within their future, but the actions and mindset – optimism – that can guide them into helping to make a better version of that future.

Optimism, always!