In today’s episode of the Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast, we’re diving into the profound impact of optimism with none other than founder of the Optimism Institute and host of the podcast Blue Sky, Bill Burke. Bill brings a wealth of experience from his impressive career in media, where he served as CEO of The Weather Channel and president of TBS Superstation, and co-authored Ted Turner’s best-selling autobiography, Call Me Ted.

March is National Optimism Month, and we thought there couldn’t be a better person to celebrate it with: Bill’s expertise has reached far and wide, and its impact is so meaningful that he has appeared on the Today Show as an optimism expert—a guide to help people see their lives as a glass half-full.

Bill’s journey towards championing optimism began with a simple yet profound realization about the importance of ensuring the next generation feels hopeful about the future. This led him to establish the Optimism Institute in 2022, where he now explores the transformative power of maintaining a positive worldview, even in the face of all the negative noise coming from a media landscape he knows so well. 

In this interview, we dive into strategies that can help us all find more peace of mind beyond the chaos. Bill shares insights reminding us that optimism is not just a luxury, but a necessity for resilience and well-being: maintaining our optimistic point of view amidst global crises and political challenges is the only way we will be poised to solve them and come out the other side.

Before his endeavors in promoting optimism, Bill Burke made significant contributions to the media industry. After overseeing the successful launch of Turner Classic Movies, he was elevated to president of TBS, where he led an expansion of the network’s original programming. Later, as CEO of The Weather channel, he also oversaw the production of long-form documentaries to sustain rating during times of less active breaking weather news.

However, even beyond his professional achievements, I recognized instantly that Bill’s impact and zone of genius might be just what the world needs right now. 

Our outlook on life can be influenced by a myriad of factors—but the programming we pay attention to can play a big part. To that end, Bill recommended his favorite Ted Talks, which spell out some of the biggest ways a person’s positive attitude can shape our world:

• Steven Pinker: Is the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers
• Kevin Kelly: The future will be shaped by optimists
• Hans Rosling: The best stats you’ve ever seen

Of course, I was then inspired to share some of my own favorite talks, experiments in human wonder and happiness that prove the same point:

• Paul Nicklen: Animal tales from icy wonderlands
• Karen Thompson: What Fear Can Teach Us
• Shawn Achor: The Secret to Happiness
• Ben Zander: The Power of Possibility 

Optimism, as Bill passionately explains, is more than just wishful thinking. It’s about embracing a hopeful attitude towards the future, while acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead. The benefits of maintaining this outlook are astounding—studies show that an optimistic outlook can increase lifespan by 15-30%, reduce the risk of depression, enhance social connections, and even improve cardiovascular health.

Bill’s advocacy for optimism as a driving force for positive change, coupled with his experienced understanding of our media landscape’s positives and negatives, mean that the possibilities for his impact are more far-reaching than we could imagine. In this episode of Conspiracy of Goodness, he shares countless remarkable insights into why cultivating a positive outlook should be a top priority for us all. Join us as we delve into the transformative power of optimism—with one of its most passionate advocates.

P.S: Be sure to check out the section below this time, because it’s chock full of amazing suggestions for optimistic reading and listening from Bill Burke himself.

• The Optimism Institute Website
• Blue Sky Podcast on Spotify
• Blue Sky Bookshelf
• An Interview with Steven Pinker About Relentless Optimism
• U-Maryland’s Do Good Institute CoG Episode #157
• Dewitt Jones’ CoG Episode #160
• Dewitt Jones TEDx Talk: Celebrate What’s Right with the World
• Drew Dudey’s CoG Episode #118
• Drew Dudley’s TEDx Talk: Leading with Lollipops
• Karen Thompson Walker’s TED Talk: What fear can teach us
• Dr. Lynda’s TEDx Talk: Exposing the Conspiracy of Goodness.
• Book: The Age of Miracles: A Novel by Karen Thompson Walker
• Book: The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley
• Book: Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
• Book: This Is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters by Drew Dudley
• Kevin Kelly’s Blue Sky Podcast Episode
• Chales Kenny’s Blue Sky Podcast Episode
• Hidden Brain Podcast
• Article: “We’ll never solve our many crises without this one ingredient” by David Von Drehle

• 00:00 – Intro & Welcome
• 2:28 – Why Bill Started Advocating for Optimism
• 4:32 – Bill’s Definition of Optimism
• 7:30 – The Science of Optimism
• 17:05 – Break
• 19:22 – Challenging Sociology Studies
• 22:19 – Challenges Left by Past Generations
• 30:41 – Pessimism is the Evil Twin of Cynicism
• 32:15 – Gen Z Will be the Greatest Generation in Human History
• 34:55 – You See What You Look For
• 40:23 – Our Responsibility to Lead Others Up
• 49:17 – The Blue Sky Podcast
• 53:05 – David Von Drehle’s Cardinal Story
• 57:01 – How the News Skews Our Perceptions
• 59:35 – Our Outlook is a Choice
• 1:01:50 – Closing