A Bit of Optimism — Page 24 | Podcast

Episode 52

Obscure Presidential History with Jeremy Deutsch

We all know a bit about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, but which President was drunk at his inauguration? Who was the first gay president? And what kind of parent would name their kid “Millard Fillmore”? For this Presidents' Day, I called the brilliant Jeremy Deutsch, the king of presidential history, to drop some obscure presidential knowledge and give a couple hints about our presidential future as well. This is…A Bit of Optimism. For more on Jeremy and his work check out: [https://www.capitolventurellc.com/](https://www.capitolventurellc.com/)

February 22, 2022 25 min

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Episode 51

Happiness with Arthur Brooks

Can we ensure that we will stay happy through every phase of our lives? Arthur Brooks discovered that there is a clear fork in the road that we will all face at some point. Some of us will struggle to find lasting happiness and the other will only get happier as time passes. The trick is knowing what to do to get on the happy path. The best part - Arthur tested his theory on himself…and it worked! He offers lots of words of wisdom -- and lots words I had to look up -- to help guide the rest of us in our quest for personal fulfillment and lifelong happiness. This is...A Bit Of Optimism. If you enjoy the episode, visit [ArthurBrooks.com](http://arthurbrooks.com/) and check out his new book for more on the subject, From Strength to Strength. \----- Here are a list of some the big words Arthur uses in the episode…just in case you need it :-) Routinized - to develop into a regular procedure. Syndicalized - to join together as one entity, as in a labor union. Pedagogical - instructional, characterized by the art or science of teaching. Metacognitive - having to do with metacognition, high-level thinking that enables understanding. Baroque - of or relating to the musical period following the Renaissance, extending roughly from 1600 to 1750. Fugue - Music. a polyphonic composition based upon one, two, or more themes, which are enunciated by several voices or parts in turn, subjected to contrapuntal treatment, and gradually built up into a complex form having somewhat distinct divisions or stages of development and a marked climax at the end. Liminality - a state of transition between one stage and the next, especially between major stages in one's life or during a rite of passage. Disconsolate - characterized by or causing dejection; cheerless; gloomy. Wizened - withered, shriveled.

February 15, 2022 30 min

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Episode 50

Giving What You Have with Mark Bustos

When people want to do good they often get stuck because they don’t know what they can do. Mark Bustos figured out that to do good, all we need to do is what we are already good at, but to do it for someone else. Mark is a hairstylist turned humanitarian who will inspire anyone who hears his story to give more. This is…A Bit Of Optimism. For more information on Mark and his work check out: [https://www.instagram.com/markbustos/](https://www.instagram.com/markbustos/) [https://www.mydarlingivy.com/](https://www.mydarlingivy.com/) [https://www.silvervineroom.com/](https://www.silvervineroom.com/)

February 8, 2022 19 min

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Episode 49

Giving A Sh*t with Phoebe Robinson

Short packets of content. That’s the world we live in. We've condensed and compressed so much of what we consume that our entertainment and our news seem to have lost any nuance or complexity. And that’s a problem, because our world and our lives are nuanced and complex. Phoebe Robinson is a comedian, bestselling author, actress and producer who tries to capture the nuance and complexity of life in her work. And it works. She’s funny, thought-provoking and full of heart. This is…A Bit of Optimism. For more on Phoebe and her work, visit: [https://www.phoeberobinson.com](https://www.phoeberobinson.com/) [https://www.tinyreparations.com](https://www.tinyreparations.com/)

February 1, 2022 30 min

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Episode 48

My True Crime Episode with David Mittelman

Less than 5% of major crimes end in a conviction. For cold cases, that number drops to 1%. Those numbers won’t stay low forever. David Mittelman’s company, Othram Inc., is revolutionizing DNA sequencing and, in the process, greatly reducing the number of “unsolvable” cases. I called David to learn more about how the new technology works, what it means for the future of crime-fighting, and maybe get some fascinating stories out of the bargain too. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on David and his work visit: [DNASolves.com](<DNASolves.com >) [Othram.com](Othram.com)

January 25, 2022 28 min

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Episode 47

Rebuilding Community with Luma Mufleh

Engraved on the Statue of Liberty it reads, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...” A beautiful sentiment, indeed. The reality is a little less poetic. When refugees reach America’s shores today, they face the daunting task of rebuilding a sense of community while trying to work through a system that is ill-equipped to give them the support they need. That’s where Luma Mufleh comes in. Twenty-nine years ago, Luma came to the United States as a refugee and has since found herself on a path she didn’t expect - building schools to support refugee children. After hearing her TED Talk, “Don’t Feel Sorry For Refugees, Believe In Them,” I couldn’t wait to get her perspective on how to build a community devoted to taking care of each other. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Luma and her work visit: [www.fugeesfamily.org](https://www.fugeesfamily.org) [https://www.ted.com/talks/luma\_mufleh\_don\_t\_feel\_sorry\_for\_refugees\_believe\_in\_them](https://www.ted.com/talks/luma_mufleh_don_t_feel_sorry_for_refugees_believe_in_them) See [omnystudio.com/listener](https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

January 18, 2022 29 min

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Episode 46

No More Lonely Friends with Marissa Meizz

How would you react if you found out that your friends purposely planned a birthday party when you were out of town so you wouldn’t attend? And what if you found out from a video that went viral on TikTok? That’s exactly what happened to Marissa Meizz. Marissa's reaction was absolutely beautiful. She used the attention - and the pain - to help others. She founded No More Lonely Friends, a group dedicated to help anyone who wants to build deeper, more meaningful friendships. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more information on Marissa and her work visit: [https://nomorelonelyfriends.com/](https://nomorelonelyfriends.com/) [https://www.instagram.com/nomorelonelyfriends](https://www.instagram.com/nomorelonelyfriends) [https://www.instagram.com/marissameizz](https://www.instagram.com/marissameizz)

January 11, 2022 22 min

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Episode 45

Resolving Conflict with William Ury

Fear and anger seem to dominate the headlines. So, to start the New Year, I thought it would be a good idea to find out if there is anything we can do to get to a resolution. And William Ury is about the best person to help figure that out. The author of "Getting to Yes" and co-founder of the Harvard Negotiation Program, he has helped negotiate disarmament pacts between nuclear superpowers, ease religious and ethnic strife in the Middle East, and find common ground among warring factions in Venezuela. So I called William to see if he could start the new year by resolving, well…all of America’s current problems. And the result made me feel quite hopeful. This is…A Bit of Optimism. If you want to know more about William and his work, check out: [https://www.williamury.com/](https://www.williamury.com/) [https://www.xniforpeace.org/](https://www.xniforpeace.org/) [https://www.abrahampath.org/](https://www.abrahampath.org/)

January 4, 2022 37 min

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