How to Be a Better Human How to find your purpose (w/ Yara Shahidi)
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Mar 16, 2026 
Yara Shahidi, actor and Harvard grad who co-created The Optimist Project, talks about practicing active optimism and why conversation and history sustain hope. She explains her 'Hard Yes' list, how to find your 'highest order' when choices get risky, and why studying deeply helps you speak responsibly. She also celebrates curiosity, eclectic interests, and being okay with being bad at things.
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Optimism Is A Deliberate Practice
- Optimism is a practice, not naivete; it produces more action than prolonged critique.
- Yara found sitting in pessimism led to inaction, so choosing optimism meant doing something rather than nothing.
Build A Hard Yes List
- Create a personal Hard Yes list to catalog things that consistently bring you joy and reset your mood.
- Yara and her mother tracked colors, foods, concerts, and conversations over time to pull a tangible mood reset during hard moments.
Progress Is Multigenerational Work
- Generational perspective reframes progress as long, multigenerational work rather than expecting immediate fixes.
- Yara cites 1963 tattoo as reminder that rights were fought for across generations and must be maintained.
