Daily Inspiration: “Your future forecast? Sunny with an excellent chance for opportunity!”

“Your future forecast? Sunny with an excellent chance for opportunity!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

It’s July 1, and in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the unofficial start to summer.

Sunshine rules! Happy Canada Day!

Here’s a thought for the day: in my 25 year career as a speaker I’ve learned that there are two types people in this world: optimists, ready to find and seize their next opportunity. And those who are, simply put, relentlessly pessimistic.

For every trend I talk about, the former sees the potential upside; the latter, nothing but the downside.

For me, they’ve always been an interesting species to observe: while we debate whether the glass is half full or half empty, it seems some of them are so downbeat, they are prepared to shatter the glass against the wall in order to validate their negative view. Constructively cynical, so to speak.

And I know they are out there in my audience. They are usually the minority, but sometimes, can be an overwhelming presence. It can make my job tough – as I paint a picture of a future that might provide us a pathway for hope, they’re busy focusing on their gloomy outlook.

You know of course, that I have to be an optimist. The future that I speak about is s necessarily one of opportunity and potential! When it comes to these gloomsters, my role is not to validate their negative view, but to provide them a potential map in order to turn their mindset around.

Does that mean that I don’t think that we live in a perilous era? Not at all – in fact, I think we are living in a time fraught with the potential for disaster,

When it comes to the economy, I believe we are riding on borrowed time. When it comes to the ‘next big thing,’ I believe that opportunities are being held back by those who have a distaste for progress. When it comes to the global political stability necessary to support our ability to deal with climate change – I believe we are at one of the most perilous periods of time we have ever witnessed.

That said, I think that there is always that most important beacon for the future – hope! And sunshine!