What is irrepressible optimism?

What drives you when the path gets hard? Passion might light the spark, but it’s something deeper - something stronger - that keeps the fire alive when obstacles arise. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer offers a word for it: irrepressible. It’s not just about excitement. It’s about endurance. The ability to stay excited, stay curious, and stay in motion even when nothing seems to be working. That’s the secret power behind many of the world’s greatest breakthroughs - and it just might be the key to unlocking yours.

“And last but not least, be tenacious. I actually prefer the word irrepressible, but everybody I ran the speech by says it's too hard for people to get. But, irrepressible is kind of tenacious, but with optimism. You just have it in you. You keep going and going. You could say, isn't that the same as passion. It's not. Passion is the ability to get excited about something. Irrepressibility and tenacity is about the ability to stay with it. If you take a look at all of the companies that have been started in our business, most of them fail. If you take even a look at the companies that have succeeded, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, you name it, all of these companies went through times of hardship. You get some success. You run into some walls. You try a formula for a new idea, a new innovation, it doesn't work. And it's how tenacious you are, how irrepressible, how ultimately optimistic and tenacious you are about it that will determine your success.”

_{Source: Ballmer, Steve. University of Southern California. Los Angeles, California. 13 May 2011. Commencement Address.}