How to shift your mindset and choose your future | Tom Rivett-Carnac

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When it comes to big life problems, we often stand at a crossroads: either believe we're powerless against great change, or we rise to meet the challenge. In an urgent call to action, political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac makes the case for adopting a mindset of "stubborn optimism" to confront climate change — or whatever crisis may come our way — and sustain the action needed to build a regenerative future. As he puts it: "Stubborn optimism can fill our lives with meaning and purpose."

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22 Comments on How to shift your mindset and choose your future | Tom Rivett-Carnac

  1. I love this. I love it’s a TED Talk from the woods (and not a desk) and Tom is incredibly inspiring. Check out his podcast (and book) with Christiana Figueres guys.
    The news are a barrage of only the terrible stuff (I’m not even sure why!) but we know we can do good things. We do them every day, we can make good choices and we can do even better.

    “This stubborn optimism is a form of applied love. It is both the world we want to create and the way in which we can create that world. And it is a choice for all of us. Choosing to face this moment with stubborn optimism can fill our lives with meaning and purpose, and in doing so, we can put a hand on the arc of history and bend it towards the future that we choose.” <3

  2. No one denies climate change, its better to keep political views to yourself, science isnt political its science.

  3. [TED]: “How to shift your mindset and choose your future”
    [me]: “Ah, TED is finally getting back to a useful self improvement topic.”
    [Tom]: “…at the speed a glacier used to move at.”
    [me]: “ugh…click-baited into watching another climate change video. Very sneaky, TED….”

    • I think his mindset is perfect for any good you decide to do. In your personal life or the world at large.

    • I’ve gotten to where I read comments and replies while listening to TED talks. Generally, these are more enlightening than the main speaker. Yes, the headline here is a bit misleading to the bulk of his message. Some other TED talks, in all fairness, have helped me gain better understanding concerning certain situations. LOL Right now I’m enjoying this more as I hear words spouted I’ve basically heard for 50 years. I think I’ll copy this as my main comment. Thank you Arcux, ThunderHawk, katarina janoskova, Josh Rauch and those many who commented and/or replied for this opportunity.

  4. What was the topic of this lecture, again?? I wish Ted-talkers could manage to give a speech about ideas without including their personal ideology.. it is amazing that he could maintain the same speech tempo and tone for so long though- that was quite a challenge to pay attention to.

    • Andrew Kline Idk I found him engaging and insightful- I think he did a good job keeping the audience’s attention (in my opinion), because of the purposeful way he spoke and how he emphasized the importance of particular issues and ideas with his body.

      The topic was about shifting one’s mindset, and he didn’t say what steps you’d have to take to get there, but he actively shifted mine into a more optimistic point of view like, “no matter if we win or lose the battle I’ll try my best and do my part because I believe in what humanity COULD be- and I believe in good.” I liked the fact that he was in the woods too, it made the setting more peaceful and enjoyable to look at.

  5. We all people need to protect natural immediately. And support climate change action taken by different govt or NGO .

  6. Lovely watching and listening to you here on the top of Trentino Italy mountain. Me too, I live besides the forest. Staying in nature is paradise.

  7. Did you really need two cameras? It feels completely redundant and gives the whole video a creepy omniscient observer vibe rather than just looking at the speaker.

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