It seemed the right thing to do ahead of diving straight into the ‘silly season’, and in this time of incredible love and hate, confidence and fear, fake news and alternative truths, to hear shared voices of optimism. SO asked the question: What’s your take on optimism?

I am an optimist! My firm belief in God gives me the conviction that only good things are going to happen and if something I consider “bad” happens, I see it as not being the right thing for me and I do not dwell on it. I know something better is coming…and guess what? Something better always does.

I am also a realist. So for me, life takes on a better hue when I see it through eyes full of optimism rather than pessimism, tempered with a dose of reality, and voila, I have balance.

My life has been a great mix of optimism and opportunity. From humble beginnings, my parents instilled that a good education is essential and they were right. I always thought I wanted to be the best PA ever (remembering that 35 yearrs ago that was one of THE jobs to have)! As fate would have it, my job placement through Alpha Business College was with the island’s leading public relations practitioner Jean Lowrie-Chin of PRO Limited and that is where the first curve in the line of my life occurred. I started as Jean’s secretary and I began to understand the dynamics of the PR world, became optimistic that I would play a greater role with the company. I subsequently became a Junior Account Executive, then Account Executive. The PR world interested and excited me and I loved it.

Full of optimism, I then moved to the UK and my 10 years there were sheer magic, and my second curved ball came when I started at Wray & Nephew UK. During that seven-year tenure, I moved from administration to marketing.

With my PR and marketing skills sharpened, I was optimistic about the role I would play on returning to Jamaica in 2000 and I went back into marketing where the next curve ball came as I discovered wines…and, as they say, “the rest is history”. I found my passion. I went from knowing nothing about wines, to embarking on a journey to discover all I can about wines, understand them, travel for them and have unique wine and food experiences, all fuelled by optimism and passion.

Interestingly, my optimism is the highest it has ever been as I have done so much, yet there is so much more to do and experience, and I know the best is yet to come.

I am the eternal optimist and always see the glass half-full especially as I know it can be filled with wine or, more delightfully, Champagne!