Thriving Communities Are Built on a Foundation of Optimism

Is it possible to stay optimistic in dark times? I believe the answer is yes. In fact, optimism matters more now than it ever has, because what we think and how we feel determine what we do. And what we do, day after day, creates our future. 

Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” It’s true. We can see obstacles, or we can see opportunities. When we are able to see opportunities (and make no mistake—they exist even in the toughest times), we will naturally move toward them. 

None of this is to say optimism is easy. When the sky appears to be falling, it’s natural to feel discouraged and overwhelmed. But the key to overcoming fear and managing stress is living in the moment instead of letting fears about a bleak future take over. The community version of this is to get laser-focused on the fundamentals and make positive changes, one step at a time.

When you stay focused on what matters, you can make thoughtful decisions from a place of calmness. Good decisions have good outcomes, and good outcomes show that progress is possible even in hard times. Evidence of past success makes optimism a lot easier!

So, what are the fundamentals for keeping a community strong and healthy? You might think of them in terms of gears that, together, create a solid framework for thriving. My learnings show that there are four such gears: economic development, placemaking, civic education and engagement, and early learning and education. For an overview of the four gears, click here.

Bottom line: Whatever you decide to do, make sure it advances one of these four gears, if only an inch at a time. In fact, moving an inch at a time is better (both practically and psychologically) than pushing for a lot of changes all at once. 

I am reminded here of the song from the Disney movie Frozen II about doing the next right thing. I’m paraphrasing, but when things are dark, we need to keep a hopeful future in front of us and do the next right thing. Take the next right step. Then after that, take the next one. Breaking things down this way keeps us from getting overwhelmed by what “might” happen.

Here are eight tips to keep optimism high as you move your community forward:

1. Believe this is your time. If you are a small or medium-sized town, you have a potential advantage over bigger cities right now. Young people have been drifting away from crowded, expensive urban areas and moving toward more affordable smaller towns and suburbs for a while now. The pandemic may accelerate this trend—especially since people now see that remote work is not only possible but in many ways better. 

2. Keep your focus on creating a great place to live. The goal is to keep young people from leaving and to attract new talent. People want to live in communities with vibrant downtowns and lots of fun things to do. Remember, talent follows place and investment follows talent. Keep your community’s unique strengths and assets at the forefront. Build on them. Promote them.

3. Rethink your economic development strategy. Rather than putting all your energy toward bringing in big outside corporations, focus on keeping small businesses strong and making it easier for entrepreneurs to start up. Small business is the cornerstone of a healthy local economy. Such economies do attract big outside investors, but it happens in an organic, sustainable way.

4. Put a solid training & development program in place. Not only does this keep local companies strong, it develops the talent base, making you a magnet for investors of all sizes. You can do this cost-effectively by using local business leaders as “faculty” to share their skills and knowledge. Most communities have a wealth of expertise at their fingertips already. (Chambers of Commerce are ideal for spearheading your training & development efforts!)

5. Galvanize the business community to lead the way forward. Governments are and will continue to be overwhelmed and underfunded. It’s up to businesses to shape their community’s future. Well-trained business leaders already have the knowledge and experience needed for smart community-building. All you need to do is unite them behind a common set of goals. 

6. Get wealth off the sidelines. Don’t think of this as asking for a donation but offering an investment opportunity. This requires a solid plan, so be prepared to lay it out up front. Investors expect a return, and while ROI may not be huge in financial terms, they need to see exactly how they’re helping build a better, more prosperous, more livable community for everyone.  

7. Raise the civic IQ. Creating vibrancy requires the enthusiastic participation of citizens. That means investing in civic education. In Pensacola, our CivicCon speaker series brings together some of the nation’s top thinkers and experts to educate people on issues they need to know to lay the groundwork for positive change. When people see what’s possible, they rally behind it.

8. Create and celebrate small wins. When people are discouraged, small, symbolic changes mean a lot. They help citizens believe in a better future, and this creates momentum that keeps things moving forward. One community we work with placed park benches by the river. Now people can relax and look at the water. It helps them appreciate the natural beauty of where they live. This was an inexpensive small win that is changing how people feel about their town.

In many ways, I find hard times bring communities together. Individually we may feel helpless and powerless, but when we band together, we can make a real impact. We draw strength and hope from each other.

Collaboration is desperately needed right now: Businesses, government, civic organizations, and citizens are all going to need to work together to overcome some big challenges. But we can do it. We just need to believe that. Once we do, all the rest becomes possible. 

(Top photo source: Alex Alvarez)

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