We are firm believers in the power of optimism.
Through the lens of the Christianity, we see the opportunity to thrive in a world that can often lead you to despair. We want to help you see the world optimistically, too.
Our Story
We are Rachel and Taylor Barkley. Thank you so much for subscribing to our newsletter. We are believers in living in hope for the future and overcoming every obstacle put in front of us.
Do you feel overwhelmed by all the bad news out there? You’re not alone. We think the media and social media tends toward amplifying apocalyptic stories of doom and gloom. And trends show it is working— young people are afraid to bring more kids into the world and older people think the next generation is doomed.
About This Space
We want to show our tiny corner of the Internet that it doesn’t have to be this way. We’re Taylor and Rachel Barkley, a married couple who live and work in the Washington, D.C., area. We’re both public policy professionals with more than a decade working in D.C. under our belts, and we’re now the proud parents of two little high-spirited boys. A few years ago our lives changed radically when Rachel was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord tumor that left Rachel paralyzed and mostly using a wheelchair to get around.
So do we see the world through rose-colored glasses? No, we know first hand that life is hard. But hard does not equal bad. The world is and has always been full of difficulty, but we have a radical belief—- there is no reason to despair.
A Little About Us
Rachel loves making her home beautiful through cooking and gardening and lives every day to see her boys laugh. She is the former Congressional staffer and currently owns her own business helping groups get their voices heard in DC and beyond.
Taylor is the quintessential tech junkie who you can often find elbow deep in a historical biography while playing dinosaurs with his boys-- and trying to get them to understand that yes, dinosaurs once did walk the earth, and no, they aren’t here anymore. It’s complicated.
You may be here because you know us in real life, work with us, or through our social media channels. We are so glad you are here!
Why Radical Optimism?
We started a podcast two years ago with the intent to share some truth of what is happening in our politics and some beauty in how we approach cultural questions. The bedrock of how we approach all of this is our Christian faith. As we discussed what was happening in the world through the lens of our faith and our lived experience every other week on the podcast, we realized one theme: The media, politicians, and influencers are telling you to be afraid and to be a pessimist about the future.
We think you should consider joining us in living with radical optimism for two reasons:
The Spiritual Reality: Jesus, the very Son of God, has overcome the darkness and promised to redeem and restore the world.
The Historical Reality: Despite what you read on the news, we are better off today than any humans who have lived before us! We live longer, more prosperous, more free lives than any of our ancestors would have imagined.
Maybe you read this and you have doubts— we encourage you to listen into this alternative viewpoint anyway and tell us what you think! And if you’re reading this and you agree— we ask that you share this newsletter with others.
What You’ll Get in our Newsletter:
The plan is we will post here weekly. You will get an email, just like a regular newsletter. You can always come back here for previous posts. We’ll cover topics like:
Our brief breakdowns of current events and resources to dig into the truth of what is happening and how it fits into the historical arc of what has happened.
Some stories from our lives about living as a disabled person with health issues, our inter-abled marriage, and parenting with disabilities.
Fun takes on culture and things we’re reading, listening to, and watching.
How Christians might digest and react to politics and culture.
Is there anything else you would like us to cover? We would LOVE to hear from you. You can find us on Instagram, Rachel’s Twitter, Taylor’s Twitter, and our podcast, Radical Optimism. You can also comment below-we can’t wait to hear from you.
Until next time, thanks for reading!
