Welcome to the Good Life Chronicles, where living a good life takes center stage.
I don’t know about you these days, but the overwhelming onslaught of bad news makes it hard to feel optimistic. Climate change, wars, economic slowdowns, AI disruption, job insecurity, and the everyday challenges of life—just reading that list feels heavy, doesn’t it? It’s tough to keep a positive face. More than that, we wonder whether it’s wise to even do so.
And that’s a question worth thinking about.
How do we face these realities without either burying our heads in the sand or collapsing under the weight of fear?
A few years ago, while teaching Environmental Psychology at university, I found myself and my students sinking into despair as the data grew darker. Climate change is real, it’s started and it’s accelerating. In fact, we’ve already crossed 7 of 9 planetary boundaries. (If you want to understand the science better, the IPCC reports are the gold standard).
In the middle of a particularly grim class, one of my most grounded students offered a phrase that has stayed with me ever since:
“Don’t be so afraid of the dark.”
Bad news feels bad. And those feelings of helplessness, resentment, anger, fear and anxiety are normal. You’d be strange if you felt positively about these things. But the truth is that they rarely help solve anything. Her point was simple but powerful: yes, let yourself feel the bad. But then, act from a place of hope precisely because it is bad. Recognizing reality and acknowledging our personal agency is the only way forward.
This is what I call radical optimism, and the research supports it. People who are overly optimistic tend to take less action simply because they believe everything will be alright, and hence, there is little to do in response. This magical thinking is childish and not useful. In contrast, pessimistic people also do not take action, why bother, after all, nothing will work out anyways. This magical thinking is also not useful and just as childish because it overlooks our sense of agency. There are things we can do. We’re not helpless and we need to stop acting like we are.
Sorry to be so brutal.
Radical optimism doesn’t deny dark realities—it meets them head-on. But it refuses to stay stuck in despair. Instead, it shifts energy into what could go right. Because when there is so much at stake, hope is not a luxury—it’s a responsibility.
(So many ways we can do good, find your way!)
And that’s where courage comes in. Courage to start a side hustle for more economic security (I’ve personally started making extra money doing voice-overs!). It might be courage to join a volunteer group, adopt a beehive (if you’re in Dubai, check the Beekeepers Association), or extend kindness to strangers to build social trust. None of these solve everything, but each restores agency, energy, and purpose. And that right there, feels good.
And if you want a daily reminder that there are good people doing good things, also check out the Good News Network, I love them!
A Good Life requires navigating the bad as much as embracing the good. Courage is what carries us through the dark, and once you step forward, you’ll realize you’re stronger and more resourceful than you ever knew.
Don’t be so afraid of the dark.
We all have something we can do.
What small courageous decisions are you making to build your Good Life?
Share it in the comments here or below depending on your platform. Don't forget to sign in to leave a comment.
While you’re here!
If you like the idea of happiness and feel someone in your life should too, pass along this newsletter. They can sign up at www.happinessmatters.org
If you want to be part of a growing community of people also choosing happiness, follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Why not learn the skills of happiness? Sign up to my course here, where I share scientifically tested strategies to help you build a better life. You can also “gift” the course to others. Make sure to check out my workplace options if you are in the UAE or KSA.
Have a great week!
Responses