In my most recent book The Brave Habit, I wrote about the two qualities that tend to be present when brave decisions are made: Perceived Agency, and Optimistic Vision.

It can be difficult to maintain optimistic vision in the midst of uncertain times, but the people you lead need clarity from you above all else. They need to know that you see a way through, and they want to understand how they fit into that vision.

So, below is an excerpt from The Brave Habit chapter about cultivating optimistic vision:

The most predictable driver of optimism is productive passion. This is an outcome that you care so deeply about that you are willing to suffer if necessary to achieve it. It is clean fuel.

As Kierkegaard wrote, “Cowardice settles deep in our souls like the idle mists on stagnant waters. From it arise unhealthy vapors and deceiving phantoms. The thing that cowardice fears most is decision; for decision always scatters the mists, at least for a moment. Cowardice thus hides behind the thought it likes best of all: the crutch of time.”

In Die Empty I wrote about what I call the “passion fallacy”. We toss around phrases like “follow your passion” as if it means simply pursuing things that you enjoy. On the surface, there’s nothing wrong with this advice except for the fact that we are fundamentally mis-using the word “passion”. In its root form, the word passion comes from the Latin word passio which means “to endure or suffer”. When we encourage someone to follow their passion, what we’re really saying is “follow your suffering!” (Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, huh?)

This fundamental twist of the common advice about passion is something I can get fully behind, because it’s the foundation of brave action. When you tap deeply into a productive passion, it means that you are willing – if necessary – to suffer if necessary in order to achieve an outcome that matters more to you than your temporary discomfort. It doesn’t mean that you necessarily will suffer, only that you’re willing to do so in order to achieve your vision.

What outcome are you so deeply committed to that you’re willing to walk through discomfort to see it achieved? That is the root of optimism.

If you are pursuing a worthy vision, and you are driven by confident ambition, you will at times experience suffering. Discomfort. Failure, in ways big and small. To continue to cultivate brave action, stay rooted in your productive passion.

Understand the deeper why of your pursuit. What outcome are you so deeply committed to that you’re willing to walk through discomfort to see it achieved? That is the root of optimism.

When you have a clear vision of what matters deeply to you and of the person you want to be, that clarity cuts like a knife between bravery and cowardice. It becomes infectious. Others want to work with you and follow you. They may not always like you, but they will respect you and respond to your clarity.

With clarity of vision, driven by productive passion, in moments of testing your decision to do the right thing, even when it’s uncomfortable, becomes more bearable.

At your testing point, everything you truly believe will be revealed.