Seven years after ISIS killed her son, Diane Foley met with one of his killers. Somehow, she was able to find the humanity in her son's murderer. 

ISIS held journalist James Foley hostage for 2 years before publicly executing him in 2014, when they uploaded a YouTube video of James's beheading. After her son's murder, Diane Foley started The Foley Foundation, working to free American hostages held abroad, teach journalist safety, and inspire people to act with moral courage.

I asked Diane how she found the moral courage to meet ISIS terrorist Alexanda Kotey and see him as a human being. If Diane could find the grace to connect with her son's murderer, the rest of us can find the moral courage to see the good in those with whom we so vehemently disagree.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Diane and her work, check out:

her book American Mother

The Foley Foundation

Seven years after ISIS killed her son, Diane Foley met with one of his killers. Somehow, she was able to find the humanity in her son's murderer. 
ISIS held journalist James Foley hostage for 2 years before publicly executing him in 2014, when they uploaded a YouTube video of James's beheading. After her son's murder, Diane Foley started The Foley Foundation, working to free American hostages held abroad, teach journalist safety, and inspire people to act with moral courage.
I asked Diane how she found the moral courage to meet ISIS terrorist Alexanda Kotey and see him as a human being. If Diane could find the grace to connect with her son's murderer, the rest of us can find the moral courage to see the good in those with whom we so vehemently disagree.
This...is A Bit of Optimism.
To learn more about Diane and her work, check out:
her book <a href="https://etruscanpress.org/product/american-mother-by-by-colum-mccann-with-diane-foley/">American Mother</a>
<a href="https://jamesfoleyfoundation.org/">The Foley Foundation</a>

The future is always bright…if you know where to look. Join me each week for A Bit of Optimism! I talk to inspiring people who teach me more about life, leadership and general interesting things.

The future is always bright…if you know where to look. Join me each week for A Bit of Optimism! I talk to inspiring people who teach me more about life, leadership and general interesting things.

A Bit of Optimism

The future is always bright...if you know where to look.

Join me each week for A Bit of Optimism - I talk to inspiring people who teach me more about life, leadership and general interesting things.

The future is always bright...if you know where to look.
Join me each week for A Bit of Optimism - I talk to inspiring people who teach me more about life, leadership and general interesting things.

Moral Courage with Diane Foley, mother of executed journalist James Foley

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/30722ada-d763-4bf1-91a3-b188000d948d/transcript

Grief can paralyze us. Most of us aren't given a manual about how to comfort someone grieving or how to ask for help with our own pain. 

That's why I wanted to revisit one of my favorite conversations, with Rabbi Sharon Brous. I talked with her about being present to someone else's pain and what it means to heal together in the loneliness epidemic. 

Considered one of the most influential rabbis in the U.S., she founded her own congregation and has led multiple White House faith events. In her book, The Amen Effect, Sharon explores how grief and heartbreak can be gateways to truly seeing each other.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Sharon and her work, check out:

her book The Amen Effect

her congregation iKAR

Grief can paralyze us. Most of us aren't given a manual about how to comfort someone grieving or how to ask for help with our own pain. 
That's why I wanted to revisit one of my favorite conversations, with Rabbi Sharon Brous. I talked with her about being present to someone else's pain and what it means to heal together in the loneliness epidemic. 
Considered one of the most influential rabbis in the U.S., she founded her own congregation and has led multiple White House faith events. In her book, The Amen Effect, Sharon explores how grief and heartbreak can be gateways to truly seeing each other.
This...is A Bit of Optimism. For more on Sharon and her work, check out: her book<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720048/the-amen-effect-by-sharon-brous/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720048/the-amen-effect-by-sharon-brous/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1727233478525000&amp;usg=AOvVaw14IMTTYnnSfpzVb9sPIOPC"> The Amen Effect</a>
her congregation<a href="https://ikar.org/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ikar.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1727233478525000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1F_n_n_5c4u1c__yPCznbI"> iKAR</a>

Revisited: We Cannot Heal Alone In The Loneliness Epidemic with Rabbi Sharon Brous

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bee932ec-67cc-45d5-a018-b1f50032a8de/transcript

Vision, not skill, is the heart of creativity. But when a creative vision gets too big for one person, the key is to ask for help.

Logic is a platinum-selling rapper who’s made waves in the hip hop world. After a troubled childhood, he started making music with a positive, introspective message, eventually receiving nominations for two Grammy Awards. But after achieving massive popular success, he decided to branch out into something different. Today, he writes science fiction novels, makes movies, and is the only rapper to also have a New York Times bestseller.

I sat down with Logic, whose real name is Bobby Hall, for a deep dive into bringing creative visions to life — especially when you have no idea what you’re doing.

This…is A Bit of Optimism.



For more on Logic and his work, check out:

his new novel, Ultra 85

@logic

Vision, not skill, is the heart of creativity. But when a creative vision gets too big for one person, the key is to ask for help.
Logic is a platinum-selling rapper who’s made waves in the hip hop world. After a troubled childhood, he started making music with a positive, introspective message, eventually receiving nominations for two Grammy Awards. But after achieving massive popular success, he decided to branch out into something different. Today, he writes science fiction novels, makes movies, and is the only rapper to also have a New York Times bestseller.
I sat down with Logic, whose real name is Bobby Hall, for a deep dive into bringing creative visions to life — especially when you have no idea what you’re doing.
This…is A Bit of Optimism.
 
For more on Logic and his work, check out:
his new novel, <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Ultra-85/Logic/9781982158279">Ultra 85</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/logic/?hl=en">@logic</a>

Confident Ignorance with rapper, novelist, and filmmaker Logic

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0397d3e5-0f72-4a5f-a93f-b1ed01527eb3/transcript

The slums of Kenya are a tough place to grow up. Stealing a mango could get you killed.

Kennedy Odede grew up in Kibera, Africa's largest urban slum. A street kid at age 10, he dreamed of factory work for 10 cents a day. But after stealing a mango out of hunger, a stranger's single act of kindness changed the course of his life.

Today, Kennedy is the CEO and founder of Shining Hope for Communities, or SHOFCO. For 20 years, SHOFCO has empowered Kenya's poorest neighborhoods, helping over 4 million people access clean water, education, and Internet. In 2024, TIME Magazine named Kennedy one of the 100 most influential people in the world. 

Kennedy shares with me what it takes to see human goodness while surrounded by scarcity and anger, and how poverty taught him that being together is one of the greatest forms of wealth.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Kennedy and his work, check out:

SHOFCO.org

The slums of Kenya are a tough place to grow up. Stealing a mango could get you killed. Kennedy Odede grew up in Kibera, Africa's largest urban slum. A street kid at age 10, he dreamed of factory work for 10 cents a day. But after stealing a mango out of hunger, a stranger's single act of kindness changed the course of his life. Today, Kennedy is the CEO and founder of Shining Hope for Communities, or SHOFCO. For 20 years, SHOFCO has empowered Kenya's poorest neighborhoods, helping over 4 million people access clean water, education, and Internet. In 2024, TIME Magazine named Kennedy one of the 100 most influential people in the world.  Kennedy shares with me what it takes to see human goodness while surrounded by scarcity and anger, and how poverty taught him that being together is one of the greatest forms of wealth. This...is A Bit of Optimism. To learn more about Kennedy and his work, check out:
<a href="https://www.shofco.org/">SHOFCO.org</a>

Wealth Is Togetherness with community organizer Kennedy Odede

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3cb42077-0365-4465-8994-b1e700468556/transcript

Moral Courage with Diane Foley, mother of executed journalist James Foley

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