“Optimism is not what exists in a vacuum on your best day, but how you're pulling through for yourself on your worst days,” says actress Yara Shahidi. Yara is known for her sitcoms Black-ish and its spinoff Grown-ish. She shares what she learned from creating a “Hard Yes” list, why she chose to attend Harvard after acting, and why she thinks anyone can find their highest order if they pay attention.
Featured guest
- Follow Yara Shahidi on Instagram and at yarashahidi.com/
- Listen to The Optimist Project podcast
Connect with the team
- Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com
- Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me
- Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDAudioCollective
- Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
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Hosts & Guests
Information
- Show
- Channel
- FrequencyUpdated Biweekly
- PublishedMarch 16, 2026 at 4:00 AM UTC
- Length41 min
- RatingClean
