WHAT I'M READING WEDNESDAY : Humankind by Rutger Bregman

Last week I was on my bi-monthly call with some fellow entrepreneurs and coaches, and at the end, one of them asked, "Do we have anything to be hopeful about?"

Also, last week, I interviewed Viktoriia Berezhna, who is located in Kiev, where we all know the fighting continues between Russia and Ukraine.

Then Monday was the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, and the escalation of the conflict ever since.

Yesterday, I was talking to a woman I met at the Nordic Business Forum, and she apologized for being "jumpy."

Why was she jumpy?

Because missiles fly over her home on a regular basis. (She is located in the north of Israel.)

Going back to my colleague's question..."Is there hope?"

According to Rutger Bregman, there is.

We actually have lots to be hopeful for, despite what appears to be ever present conflict around us.

According to Bregman, we are not the self-centered, cruel beings that some would make us out to be.

We are good, but have been taught to be bad.

So far in the book, Bregman has given a new perspective, and a hopeful twist on thousands of years of history.

Did you know a group of 6 boys lived for 15 months on an island north of Australia, after a shipwreck?

They didn't turn into savages and kill each other, as "Lord of the Flies" would suggest.

They helped and healed together -- including a broken leg that mended itself perfectly without proper medical intervention.

This and other stories have made me smile and sometimes brought tears to my eyes.

We can feel hope.

It's a matter of perspective.

Thanks, Florentine Versteeg for the recommendation!

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.

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