We were lucky to catch up with Teju Aluko recently and have shared our conversation below.
Teju, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
My optimism stems from choosing joy – everyday.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned in life, but more specifically as a business owner, is to understand, embrace, and choose joy. Choosing joy has been very advantageous for me and I can’t express that enough. My optimism serves as a catalyst for my joy and it is defined as “hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something”.
There’s so many ebbs and flows within business and it’s tough to not get caught up in the singular desired emotions – like wanting to always feel happy. Business ownership takes you on a whirlwind of emotions and feelings and joy allows you to not throw in the towel when the undesirable emotions come at some point – instead you’ll remain optimist. Joy allows you to embrace those emotions and stay steadfast in your pursuit. And again, in my experience that’s an important concept to understand in life.
I read a quote from Shari Alyse, America’s Joy Magnet, where she states that she’s found optimism is a catalyst for joy too as it keeps her focused on the good, sets her up for wins no matter what, and keeps her grateful and appreciative for the gift of that moment, and I couldn’t agree more. For me, there is always a piece of joy in any situation, you just have to choose it, and keep choosing it – as it’s a destination never reached but a decision to move forward in spite of. Optimism is a mindset influenced by joy.
An optimistic spirit is a gateway to experiencing more joy – experiencing more joy keeps you optimistic. Joy is where my optimism comes from.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?