The Optimistic American with Paul Johnson

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Think about how you feel after listening to the news. Do you feel energized and positive? Or do you feel like you're being hung by your feet from 100 stories up? </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a huge bias in our society towards creating negativity, according to today’s guest. Paul E. Johnson Jr. joins me to discuss the power of optimism and how to practice it. He is the host of The Optimistic American podcast, whose goal is to create space in the news and media for an optimistic view of America.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paul has a significant background in business, politics, and government. At 30 years old, he was elected as the youngest mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, and has managed several state campaigns for presidential candidates. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, Paul shares how we can feel enlivened by things we might not see at first glance. And I know you will love conversation as much as I do. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We discussed:  </span></p> <p> </p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">How a career in politics led to Paul’s revelation about negative bias</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;"><br /> <br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">How we can find our optimistic space in a negative world</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> <br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The harmful effects of labeling people with whom we disagree</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> <br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">3 factors that are essential to finding motivation and meaning</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> <br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">T