An optimist that always thinks the worst may seem like an oxymoron, but instead it can be an apt description for a form of optimism that I call Mindful empathy. This is the practice of taking the time to consider what someone else might be going through before allowing ourselves to react negatively to a situation, replacing anger and frustration with love and empathy.

There is a thin line between perfectionism and the fear of criticism and failure. At times, I let the fear of how something will be received, prevent me from doing something in the first place. I am currently writing a book, for example, lately, I have been procrastinating and putting off working on it because at the back of my mind, the closer I get to completion, the closer I am to having to confront my fear of failure. This episode is about that fear.