Of all people. Conan O’Brien! He has captured so many hearts with his inspiring words. And it’s not just the words. It’s the sincerity with which he delivered them.

In his parting words on his final Tonight Show, Conan put voice to some feelings I’ve had rattling around in my being for a good long while.

What is up with the rampant cynicism in our world, anyway? I want to blame someone — but that would be a little cynical of me, eh?

Today’s political pundits seem to be leading the charge in a 24×7 negativity campaign — this includes opinionators on both sides of the proverbial “aisle,” from red to blue and all the purple in between. And non-politicos, too. Just life in general seems to be bearing more cynics these days.

Say, did you know that the word pundit comes from a Sanskrit word meaning, “learned, scholar”? Somehow the idea of “learned” has morphed into “opinionated,” which has morphed into “I’m right, you’re wrong,” which has devolved into critical, hateful meanness. (That’s just my humble opinion, but I’m no pundit!)

No Polyanna here, I swear. But how in the world will our World find new solutions to our problems and better ways of coexisting peacefully when so many put their energies into shooting down their opponents with spiteful words? After all the vile rhetoric is spewed, what energy is left over for true creative thinking? Doesn’t it seem obvious that creativity thrives best in a positive, uplifting sort of environment… not in a stifling stew of “dissing.”

And out of nowhere comes Conan!! No one would have been shocked if his parting words to his employer were “screw you!”  (How many laid-off workers were watching, just waiting for that train wreck?!)  Instead, he showed his heart through an inspiring parting message promoting kindness and anti-cynicysm and expressing gratitude toward NBC. His ernest remarks have truly uplifted me these past few days. I have never been a big fan of Conan’s humor — a little too silly for me.  But I am a convert! I will pay attention now!  Conan for President! (Or at least a new cabinet post: Secretary of Common Sense)

Conan’s plea to end cynicism is inspiring. But so is his utter lack of bitterness, his acknowledgment in NBC’s part in his career, and his genuine gratitude for all that he has in life. If we could all disagree so gracefully — this is the mark of a true leader.

“Before we end this rodeo, a few things need to be said. There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can’t say about NBC. To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at Saturday Night Live, The Late Night Show, and my brief run here on The Tonight Show, I have worked with NBC for over twenty years. Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we’re going to go our separate ways. But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible.

Walking away from The Tonight Show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Making this choice has been enormously difficult. This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I’ve had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we’ll find a way to make it fun.

And finally, I have to say something to our fans. The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational.

To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I’ll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism — it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere.

Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”
         ~ Conan O’Brien, parting words on his final Tonight Show, Jan. 22, 2010