#532: Optimism: Naïve or competitive advantage? - Tash Corbin, Heart-Centred Business Podcast

Full article and links available at: tashcorbin.com/532

Today’s episode of the Heart-Centred Business Podcast might feel a little left of centre for a business show, but I promise—this conversation is powerful, and I’m bringing it right back to business results by the end. If you’re feeling low on optimism about the world, your future, your business, or even your community, first up, you’re absolutely not alone. But what if I told you that optimism, especially in chaotic times, is actually a competitive advantage?

Let’s go deeper into why optimism isn’t just wishful thinking—and how to harness it, even when the world feels like, well, a bit of a bin fire.

Why the World Feels Like It’s in Decline

Let’s start with the obvious: everything feels a little out of control right now. There’s chaos, there’s uncertainty. If you belong to a marginalised community or you’re not one of those billionaires in politicians’ pockets, it’s probably even harder to feel optimistic about your own future, let alone the future of your community or the planet.

If I asked a crowd “Is the world getting better or worse?” I’d bet a huge chunk would say “worse.” That belief is so common, it has a name: declinism. This isn’t just pessimism—the opposite of optimism—it’s the assumption that the whole world is declining. Here’s the kicker: even self-identified optimists can still believe the world is on a downward spiral. All the “evidence” we see seems to back that up.

But the truth? Both things are happening at once. There are areas getting worse, and others improving. It’s hard to even agree on basic facts as a group, so when it comes to something as massive as “the state of the world,” there’s no single answer.

...read the full article at: tashcorbin.com/532

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Find out more and secure your ticket at: tashcorbin.com/conference

Transcript

0:30

Okay, Spectacular entrepreneur. Today's episode of the podcast is going to be a little left of center for a business podcast, but I think it's a really powerful conversation for us to have and I'm going to link it back to business results at the end. If you've been struggling to feel optimistic about the world, if you've been struggling to feel optimistic about the future, the future of your business, the future of your communities, number one, you're not alone. But optimism can be a competitive advantage, especially in an age of very challenging times. I feel like it's always underselling it. The world's a bin fire, let's just say that. But at times like this, it's important for us to be able to tap into optimism. And I'm going to share with you some very interesting facts about optimism and declinism, which is the opposite phenomenon, and also how you can use optimism as a competitive advantage as a business owner. So this is episode number 532 of the Heart Center Business podcast, which means you can find all the relevant links and the show notes for today's episode over@tashcorbyn.com 532. Let's get optimistic, shall we? Hello, I'm Tash Corbin, a business strategist and mentor based on the Sunshine coast in Australia. The mission of this podcast is to help heart centered entrepreneurs to make more money and in doing so change the world for the better. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gubbi, Gubbi and Djinnaburra people. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. Let's start by addressing the obvious. Yes, it feels like our world is in chaos and is in decline. Especially if you belong to a marginalised community, especially if you aren't a billionaire that's in the pocket of certain politicians around. You're probably finding it harder and harder to feel optimistic about your own future. The future of the people you love, the future of your community, the future of the planet. And if I was to ask every listener of this podcast, do you feel like overall the world is getting better or worse? I think there'd be quite a large percentage of people who said it's getting worse. And that phenomenon of believing that the world is consistently getting worse is actually a very common one. It even has its own term, which is declinism. So it's not pessimism, as in the opposite of optimism, it's declinism, which is the belief that the world is in decline and the reason why this isn't just a matter of optimism versus pessimism is because people who would classify themselves as mostly quite, quite optimistic in their personality still feel like the world is in decline. Even though they are an optimistic person. The evidence that they are seeing tells them that things are getting worse and worse. And the reality is that both are true. There are things that are very bad and declining in our world and, and there are things that are improving. Just like it's very challenging to have a group of 1,000 people all agree on a literal fact that looks like it's exactly the same in front of all of us. It is challenging to classify whether the world is improving or in decline when there are so many disparate factors. And also different communities, different individuals, different countries, different climates are experiencing different changes. So some really tangible examples of where declinism tells us everything is getting worse, but it's not true, include things like climate change. So the number of deaths from climate change are in decline, which means less people are dying from the effects of climate change. The rate at which the climate is changing is still quite steady and it's not coming down as quickly as we are told is necessary by climate science. So another example would be that every generation is far more inclusive than the one before it. But we see pockets of regression in political spheres and also in older populations. We see a resistance to inclusion in response to a more inclusive younger generation. So older people will feel like inclusion is costing them more than it's actually costing them, because their perception of them like other people getting equality feels to them like they're missing out on something, even if they aren't. So older generations are better off than the older generation has ever been before in our world. But to listen to older people, you might get the impression that they feel like they are the most hard done by generation currently living on the planet, even though they are the most economically wealthy. They are the healthiest older generation we've ever had. They are the most economically prosperous older generation we've ever had than the generations before them. But they perceive, because of this strike for inclusion and equality, they perceive that that is going to cost them or that is currently costing them economically, socially or in their rights and what is available to them. So there's this sense that like, oh, the world is getting worse and crime is getting worse, when actually crime is on the decline in most places in the world. Right? So the prolific nature of reporting on crime and the constant fear mongering and separatist nature or divisive nature of crime reporting makes us perceive that crime is escalating. When the data shows it is actually in decline in most places now, you can always find exceptions to the rule. I'm not here to argue about exceptions to the rule, but this is where that phenomenon of declinism can make it easy for us to buy into the rhetoric that everything is getting worse, we're doing more damage to the climate and environment, health is getting worse. Um, we are going to be, in my generation, in millennials, we are going to be, I think, the first or only second generation to have a shorter lifespan than the one before us. So there are reasons to be worried in certain pockets and there are certain areas of decline, but overall, the data is showing we are still actually improving. And the reason why I wanted to talk about this is because it can be really challenging when we are seeing so much reinforcement of the decline, to fall into very pessimistic thinking, into feeling like nothing's going to make a difference, nothing's going to work, why bother? It's a bit all or nothing. And that can then lead us into some really tricky territory through which we want to then create a business and build an audience. So, oh, another little one which is like, I love to follow good news sites, right? And I love to follow things that give me some of that data on what there is to feel good about. So another really big one is that the mass move to renewables is actually escalating much faster right now. Oh, I wonder why. But investment in renewals has actually increased exponentially over the last 10 years, and that is in a climate of consistent climate change denial. Right? The climate change deniers are far louder than they've ever been before because they are being platformed by the wealthiest who have a vested interest in delaying renewable development. Mining people, those who are trying to build large scale data centers, who know that that's not going to be possible on the current renewables infrastructure. Right? All of this kind of thing. So that's another example. Right? So it's easy to think, you know, there's just all of this climate change. Now, we're still arguing climate science, what is going on, but actually the reality is that investment in renewables is skyrocketing. So the message doesn't always reflect the reality or what we are seeing more consistently doesn't reflect what is actually being done or the action that's being taken. So why am I bringing this conversation to a business podcast? And what has this got to do with you as a business owner? Well, first and foremost, I would like to say that optimism changes your mindset. When you set about your day looking for positive signs of what you want to be seeing, and you make it your mission to find evidence of that, you are far more likely to find that evidence. So if we think about it on a micro level, you might think, oh, the algorithms are getting worse and worse. It's harder and harder to get reach these days. If that's the overall message that you are seeing and that is the one that you choose to focus, focus your attention on, you will collect evidence of that over and over and over again. And I've even seen this with clients who say this to me, and I say, okay, well, let's go and have a look at your numbers. And we go and look at their reporting spreadsheet. And their reach on social media has been improving every single month for the last 10 months. But they are seeing so much proliferation of this news that algorithms are getting worse and organic reach is getting worse, that they just assume organic reach is getting worse for them as well, and that they are part of that process and that that's applied to their business as well, when it actually isn't. And so this is where that optimism actually makes a huge difference to your mindset, but it also makes a difference to what it is that you collect as evidence and what information you are gathering. And I'm not saying this for us to be bypassing the real and lived horrors of what's happening in the world right now, but is you being stuck in only seeing the horrors actually helping you, or is it creating a vortex that makes you feel like nothing you do is ever worth while or making any kind of difference? So that is why I am making it my mission to collect some of this good news story, some of this good news insight, some of this, you know, pushback on some of the things that I've. I am really upset about in the world. One of my favorite statistics at the moment is that 70% of women who have tried AI have decided it's not for them. And it's about 14% of men. And I just love that Reese Witherspoon tried to convince us that we need to keep up with the boys and that that's a problem. But actually, she's selling courses on AI for $850 each, thanks to Purdue University. So, again, vested interest in convincing us that something is necessary and a foregone conclusion, but actually, detailed research into people's adaptation to AI, adoption of AI tools and all that kind of stuff shows that, um, actually on the gender divide, women are far more focused on what does this mean for my children? What does this mean for future generations? What does this mean for the community at large? What does this mean for the environment? And therefore, even if they've found certain AI things that might help them or certain AI tools they can't get away from, they are actively making the choice to opt out of AI where they can. And I love that for us because I am also in that boat. And to find out that I'm in the majority, despite what all of those people yelling at the Internet are trying to tell us, actually makes me feel quite good. Right? Good news story. There's another one that I can share with you. So I'm not saying all AI is bad. I'm not saying you should be not be using AI. I'm not saying blah blah, blah, AI is rotting our brains. AI is unsustainable for the environment and the financial structure in which it's currently created. I don't particularly want to participate in that system. I also really value my skills and my brain. And if using AI when things feel hard is actually depleting the muscle I have in my brain to be able to do hard things, I'm not interested in it. So you don't need to comment and try and convince me. I'm all good. You do you, I'll do me. I know that I have a lot of AI lovers who listen to this podcast who like to argue with me about AI. I'm not judging your choice, I am just stating the information with which I'm making mine. So let's leave it at that. But to get back to my first point, I am actively looking for those good news stories, those signs of things to be optimistic about because I know that having that optimism changes my mindset and it changes how I feel on a day to day basis. And the way that I feel has a huge impact on what I do and also how I show up. Optimism changes your magnetism. We all know what it's like to have a friend or family member who is constantly pessimistic, who just cannot enjoy an experience for what it is and has to bring everyone down in the room or everything back to something sad or something bad. It is not fun to be in the presence of those people that is not someone that you want to spend more and more time with. And so optimism being magnetic does have an impact on your business. It does have an impact on on the people who are in your audience and who are spending time with you and how you make them feel and therefore how much more time they want to spend with you. And so this is something for us to be mindful about. Again, not bypassing what's going on, not pretending that that's not happening right now, but being optimistic in the face of it. Optimism changes your actions. If you feel optimistic about your business or about certain pockets of what's happening in your world, in your community, the way that you behave is going to be impacted. I have a wonderful community based example of this, and that is people who are connected with young people in their community and see positive behavior from young people in their community highlighted in their newsfeed, in the news that they watch, in the stories that they're told, are twice as likely to volunteer or participate in youth activities in their community as people who are focused on the crime rates. I focused on the problems with youths today. So it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Think about it for yourself as a business owner. If you feel optimistic about your market, about your business's chances of success, about the actions that you want to take in your business, you're far more likely to act on them. You're far more likely to actually do something rather than keep navel gazing, keep questioning whether it's even worthwhile to do it. So optimism changes your actions. It is therefore a huge competitive advantage for business owners. It is also an act of defiance. So in this podcast episode I want to ask you one question. What would change if you were deeply, consistently optimistic about yourself, your business, your community and the world? What would change if you were deeply and consistently optimistic about yourself, your business, your community and the world? That is such a powerful question to ask, and one that may just be the driver for you to choose to actively nurture your optimism. Because in this doom and gloom news cycle, in this rage, bait, clickbait social climate, in this time of shortening attention spans and people commenting on news items based on the headline alone, we need to make a conscious choice to curate and develop our optimism. The odds can be stacked against us in this current climate. The odds can be stacked against us with everything that is going on in the world. But how powerful would it be if the thousand or so people who end up listening to this podcast episode made a conscious choice to actively curate and develop their optimism. I think about the ripple effect that that would have in the world if we all dialed up our optimism, even just 10%. What difference that would make to the people around you, to the business, to the clients that you work with, to the way that you show up, to your actions and just how you feel on a day to day basis. Remember, optimism doesn't just change your mindset. It doesn't just make you more magnetic. It isn't just a huge competitive advantage. It doesn't just change your actions. It's also an act of defiance in a world that wants to keep you stuck in a sense of hopelessness and helplessness and in consumerism to try and fill that void. Because that's really what they're trying to do. So let's be optimistic together and if you come on over to the Show Notes of today's episode, over@tashcorbyn.com 532, you'll find links to my socials so you can come and follow me and get my optimistic, positive self in your newsfeed, as well as a special link to sign up to my mailing list, but with a specific special secret little project that I've been working on and making sure that you're going to be one of the first to know about it. It is your opportunity to join a space where you can spend more time with deeply optimistic people who want to make the world a better place, who want a world that is more inclusive, more progressive, more connected, where we look after each other and where we have a huge focus on justice and fairness for all. And if those kinds of people are your kinds of people and you want to hang out with more of those kinds of people, make sure that you head to the show notes@tashcorbyn.com 532. All the details will be there and you can sign up and make sure that you are one of the first to know. And also that you're getting my regular emails to your inbox because they're another dose of positivity and optimism in what can sometimes be a little bit of drudgery in the world. Now, again, I will just reiterate caveat, caveat, caveat. I'm not talking about bypassing our lived experiences, pretending that those atrocities are not happening, pretending that we aren't seeing decline in a range of different areas. But in the face of that being defiant in because we are optimistic and we look after each other. So make sure that you come to those show notes. Tashcorbin.com 532 thank you so much for joining me for this episode of the Heart Center Business Podcast. And until next time, I cannot wait to see you shine. Bye for now.