Restless Optimism Not Toxic Positivity

Dan Rockwell

6 months ago

Pessimists can’t lead. Leading is the practice of restless optimism.

Contentment that induces slumber degrades you. Accept your present. Stay hungry to improve.

“Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.” Thomas A. Edison

10 Expressions of Restless Optimism:

Treat achievements like pitstops, not finish lines. Stop saying, “I’ll be happy if I can only…”
Enjoy success but let it go. Maintain a forward-facing posture.
Seize current opportunities. Scan the horizon for new prospects. Doing the same thing feels safe, but it can limit you.
Keep a “Not Yet” list. Keep building your strengths. Learning is restless optimism.
Ignore “can’t do” people. Don’t bury your head in the sand. Explore potential problems optimistically. Step up. Don’t lay down.
Connect with people who’ve gone further than you. Restless optimism thrives with new partnerships.
Value your current contribution. Believe in your capacity to go further.
Pull the trigger when you’re 70% certain. The need for certainty keeps you stuck.
Reflect on nagging frustrations. Stop doing things that don’t work. Don’t blame the problem when trying to fix it doesn’t work.
Use your inner critic to help you. Practice self-awareness without self-destruction. Be discontent and encourage yourself. Pessimistic discontent ties rocks to your ankles.

Passion is optimistic discontent.

People who believe in others influence the trajectory of their lives.

You can’t antagonize and influence at the same time. Accept people where they are. Belittling people doesn’t ignite restless optimism in others.
Explore new applications of people’s strengths and talents. Know their strengths and ask, “What about…?” or “Have you thought about…?”
Build on success. Don’t criticize because they could have been more.
Focus on purpose before extending challenge. Determine why challenging the status quo matters.

How does contentment go wrong?

How do restlessness and optimism strengthen each other?