Julie Owens shares how optimism has shaped her response to life’s challenges, including career transitions, personal struggles, and a cancer diagnosis. Through humor and reflection, she explains how perspective and the conscious choice to seek light—even in difficult moments—can transform one’s experience. She emphasizes that optimism isn't about ignoring hardship, but about activating the power of the mind to find strength, meaning, and resilience in the face of it. Julie is CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse: a catalyst for the social entrepreneurs creating innovative solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. SEG has supported 2,300+ social entrepreneurs over 15+ years, equipping them with the knowledge, capital and community they need to protect our environment, create better access to health care, and forge new pathways to economic prosperity.Prior to joining SEG in 2022, Julie spent 25+ years as a consultant who cultivated strategic thinking and created positive impact at health care organizations across the country. Her work focused on both delivery of care (creating innovative programs that improve the patient experience) and financing of care (decreasing barriers that are often experienced by the underinsured). This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx