Janet McNeill

<written for the North Renfrew Times in January 2009>

There is a very delightful magazine called ‘Ode’ that was introduced to me by my friend Hilary, who’d been given a subscription by her father, John Veen. The magazine was launched in 1995, in the Netherlands, and bills itself as a magazine for “intelligent optimists.” I hope some local readers of this column will want to give it a look, which you’ll be able to do by borrowing it from the Deep River Library.

In the current (January 2009) issue of the magazine, Editor-in-Chief Jurriaan Kamp explains why the magazine was given its name. As he points out, “ode” is a positive word that means ‘tribute.’ He goes on to say “The name also supports our broader mission: Ode isn’t just a magazine. We stand for the celebration of life. We cherish beauty, joy, friendship and love. We look for possibilities and opportunities. We want to make things cleaner, greener, healthier, more just and sustainable – and more fun. A magazine is only part of the way we hope to achieve that; our website is another part. Odemagazine.com enables us to reach you and connect you with your fellow Odeans around the world. In the past six months, traffic at odemagazine.com has doubled as more and more of you have posted your stories and blogs.” He explains that readers can both log onto an “Exchange” section of the Web site for a “recommended daily dose of hope and inspiration amid the daily challenges of work and life” and that another option is to sign up for a daily newsletter.

The January 2009 ‘Ode’ is the magazine’s “first annual intelligent Optimists issue” and features profiles of 25 people who “aren’t famous yet but should be because of the work they’re doing to bring positive change to their communities, their countries and the world.” The nominees were chosen by an impressive group of “celebrated activists, artists, business people, politicians and thought leaders.”

Among the 25 celebrated optimists are individuals working in the worlds of banking, charitable giving, alternative energy, local food, waste reduction, organic agriculture, integrative medicine, personal growth facilitation, community art therapy, biodiesel energy, electric cars…and so on.

The eclectic collection of individuals being celebrated illustrates a key truth about world-changing: the solutions needed to solve the world’s problems are as diverse and numerous as the nature and number of the challenges facing us. It’s not a one-size-fits-all world (it never was!), so the solutions needed are many and various.

As ‘Ode’ Editor Kamp says, “Pessimism and despair have taken hold around the globe…. It’s easy to be an optimist when things are going fine. But optimism is a quality anyone can practice in every circumstance, especially during difficult times. Optimism isn’t about denying reality; it’s about creating a better reality than you’re facing…The Intelligent Optimist knows a half-empty glass is also half full. And she knows more can be gained by focusing on what she has than by focusing on what she’s missing. You learn to become optimistic by concentrating on things that give you a sense of satisfaction, and you remain an optimist by feeding those things to make them grow. Intelligent Optimists know that for every problem there is (at least the beginning of) a solution, and that the search for that solution can be inspirational in itself. At the same time, they’re not afraid of negative thoughts, which they realize help them stay realistic.”

In describing the individuals the magazine is profiling, he adds, “These are men and women who show that anyone anywhere can make an important contribution. They’re dedicating their lives to issues beyond their immediate self-interest. The roads they travel are never easy, because they’re new roads they mostly have to build themselves. But their optimism helps them overcome the challenges they face.” He concludes his introduction by saying “Optimism is a choice.”

And I say, “Amen” to that!

I salute ‘Ode’ magazine for its efforts and positive energy. ‘Ode’ isn’t the only great magazine I’ve heard about that focuses on good news – ‘Yes!’ magazine is said to be an equally positive force. Perhaps someone will consider donating a ‘Yes!’ subscription to our library!