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.ted.com/talks/luma_mufleh_don_t_feel_sorry_for_refugees_believe_in_them

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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://www.instagram.com/nomorelonelyfriends

https://www.instagram.com/marissameizz

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.xniforpeace.org/

https://www.abrahampath.org/

Stressed from work? Stressed from life? For all the talk of mindfulness and meditation, a lot of us still struggle to find that calm we want. Omar Brownson tapped into an entirely new way to find peace that may surprise you: gratitude. It was so powerful, he left his high visibility, high stress job to share the power of being grateful with as many people as possible. This…is A Bit of Optimism.

If you want to know more about Omar and his work, check out:

https://simonsinek.com/product/the-gratitude-class

https://www.gratitudeblooming.com/

https://www.gratitudeblooming.com/podcast

Despite all our “social” media, more and more people report feeling lonelier, more stressed and more adrift than ever before. How can we protect our mental health and still engage with friends on Instagram, etc? To find out, I called Sara Kuburic – an existential psychotherapist, war survivor, and the mind behind the massive and brilliant Instagram account @Millennial.Therapist.  Her insights on self-love, trauma and authenticity reveal both a kind heart and profound wisdom. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

If you want to know more about Sara and her work, check out:

https://www.sara-kuburic.com/

https://www.instagram.com/millennial.therapist/

https://twitter.com/SaraKuburic

We live in an era in which possessions are, too often, more important than personal health and the health of our planet. That never felt right to activist, gardener, and education reformer Ron Finley. He’s been called an Eco-lutionary, a Guerrilla Gardener, the Gangsta Gardener…regardless of what you want to call him he is one thing: inspiring. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism. 

If you want to know more about Ron and his work, check out:  

https://ronfinley.com

https://www.instagram.com/ronfinleyhq

https://www.instagram.com/ronfinleyproject

So many politicians say our children are our future, so why do so few nations have a cabinet level position to represent their youth? As the Minister of State for Youth Affairs for the United Arab Emirates, Shamma Al Mazrui is revolutionizing the dynamic between youth and government. At the age of 22, she became the youngest government minister in the world. Now, five years later, she has powerful insights to share about fostering a nation’s youth, the power of listening, and how hope empowers.    

This is... A Bit of Optimism.     

If you want to know more about Shamma and the Ministry for Youth Affairs, check out:  

https://youth.gov.ae/en 

https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/cabinet-members/her-excellency-shamma-bint-suhail-faris-al-mazrui

 https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/government-of-future/youth

A small number of tech companies have amassed enormous power in our modern world. Do they wield that power responsibly, or do they abuse it to benefit themselves? I talked to Tristan Harris, “the closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience,” to better understand what we can do about our social dilemma. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.
 

If you want to know more about Tristan and his work, check out:

About | TRISTAN HARRIS

Center for Humane Technology

https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/

In show business, Ari Emmanuel is the consummate insider. The founder and CEO of the Endeavor agency, he represents some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He’s a mover and a shaker and a philanthropist. So obviously, I called to talk to him about…family. This is…A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Ari and his work check out:  

https://www.wmeagency.com/story/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/04/26/ari-emanuel-takes-on-the-world

What is the best way to navigate the world of diversity, equity and inclusion? Chloe Valdary’s point of view is different from the norm. The founder of the Theory of Enchantment believes the best way for us to come together is to first find love within ourselves. And the results are...enchanting. This is…A Bit of Optimism.

The Theory of Enchantment - Website
Chloe's feature in The Atlantic

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