The Power of Optimism
Let me confess right here and now. I am a recovering negaholic; that’s right, I am a former negative person. A negative take on the world has some benefit. Being negative means you don’t take any risks, you create a buffer between yourself and others so you will not be vulnerable, you don’t have many disappointments because you have no expectations. However, being a negative person also means that co-workers shy away from you, your children will think you are an old grouch, you might not get that job promotion, or your general health, mental and physical, may suffer.
Optimism is an Attitude
Optimism is an attitude that sets us up for life success by helping us focus on what works and how we contribute to what works. According to Martin Seligman, who pioneered much of the research on optimism, being optimistic involves how we explain the good and bad things that happen to us. When good things happen the optimist takes the credit and the pessimist considers it to be fluke or a stroke of luck. The optimist believes that good things will last whereas the pessimist believes that good things will not last.
When bad things happen the optimist believes that the situation is temporary, that the bad event is limited to a particular situation and that bad events are caused by circumstances. Pessimistic people believe that bad events are permanent and will affect all areas of their lives and they blame themselves.
Being Optimistic is About Being Real
Does that mean that optimists never get down, depressed, upset with life? Absolutely not. Being optimistic is about being real. The difference is that optimists are active and have a sense that what we do matters. In addition living life as an optimist means that we take responsibility for our actions. Just because we believe that bad events are not a result of something internally wrong with us, we do acknowledge when we have done wrong and work towards making amends. Optimism is realistic, flexible, and above all hopeful.
Optimists live a life that is driven by trust, not fear, and use reasons to objectively assess situations. We believe that we have the ability to make good things happen and we take charge and create the conditions for success. This involves personal responsibility, which means living a value-driven life. Optimists attract and are attracted to positive people and situations.
Optimists Live Longer
The power of optimism manifests itself in physical and mental health. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies show that optimists live longer than pessimists. The immune system of people who are optimistic is more effective and optimists are more likely to seek medical advice and stick to a health regime. In addition they are more likely to see support as a coping strategy which has a impact on both physical and mental health. Optimism protects against depression and we now understand that many illnesses are influenced by feelings. The relationship between stress and heart disease is well documented.
How to Boost Your Optimism
- Be aware of self-talk
Self-talk is an ongoing series of inner messages about yourself, others and the world around you. Pay attention to what you are saying to yourself and under what circumstances your thoughts are more negative than positive. - Repeat a mantra
Choose one of your chronic negative thoughts and write down it’s opposite. Post your mantra on a sticky note and place in it a prominent place. Commit your positive thought to memory and counter your negative thought with your positive mantra. You can also use a cue, like the phone ringing or looking at your watch, to remind you to repeat your positive mantra.
- Be grateful
Take a few minutes at the end of the day to list three things that you are grateful for. - Visualize
Visualization is a form a meditation that involves using your imagination to change how you feel. Choose a situation where you would like to act with confidence, sit in a comfortable chair, and picture yourself acting with confidence. - Create abundance
Abundance is being satisfied with what you have while envisioning what you want. Collect images from magazines that represent what you want more of if your life: a relationship, a better self-image, anew job, a home, travel, etc. Create a collage on poster board using your images and put your collage in a room where you will see it often. - Look for laughter
You can incorporate laughter into your day by actively seeking out humour. What tickles your funny bone? Old movies? Stand-up comedy? Indulge yourself and share the laugher. - Manage stress
There’s nothing like too much stress to put you in a bad mood. Managing your stress can go a long way to improving your attitude. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and enough sleep are three good ways to manage stress.
Plug into the power of optimism and light up your life, improve your health and create happiness for yourself and those around you.
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