Speech: Essay on optimism. The concept of optimism elicits feelings of hope, confidence, and joy, and its meaning differs for each person. When an individual has a goal and intends to pursue it, they should embrace both optimism and positivity. Adopting these mindsets will allow them to pursue their goals with perseverance. Some signs that you tend to be optimistic: You feel that good things will happen in the future. You expect things to turn out for the best. You feel that you will succeed in the face of life's challenges. You feel that the future looks bright. You believe that even good things can come from undesirable events.