Optimism is a form of positive thinking. It is a belief that your happiness is your responsibility and no one can be in charge of it. Being optimistic means, you tend not to give up and instead learn from your mistakes, no matter what is going on in your life.
Optimism comes from the Latin word Optimus, which describes how an optimistic person finds the best out of every situation. Optimists believe that they can change the world with their smile and positive beliefs. Studies show that optimism indeed has different benefits on your physical and mental health. It is a secret mantra to lead a successful and happy life.
Ask yourself a question, is the glass half empty or half full. The answer to this question will tell you if you have a positive or negative outlook on life.
When you hold a positive outlook on life, you tend to find better solutions to your problems. An optimist learns from his mistakes instead of questioning his failure. The power of positive thinking is the ultimate mantra for a successful and happy life.
If you see the brighter side of the picture, you feel less stressed and thus enhances your ability to overcome your problems in life with a bright smile and a happy mind. Remember, everything in life happens for a reason.
Understanding the Power of Optimism and Self-Talk
It does not mean that an optimist keeps his head under the sand and ignores everything going on in life. Instead, an optimist tries to understand his problems and deal it more positively and productively. You believe the best is going to happen and somehow the universe conspires and makes it happen.
Optimism often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is a stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These endless thoughts can be positive or negative. Negative thoughts can create chaos inside your head whereas positive thoughts can give you the power and confidence you need to face your problems.
Benefits of Optimism
Researchers have studied the behaviors of optimists and pessimists for years and they have found that an optimistic view carries certain advantages.
1. Tend to have a superior health
Studies regularly show that optimists are more likely to maintain better health than pessimists. They have an increased life span and lower rates of depression. They have better cardiovascular health reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Doctors always agree that a patient gets cured at a faster rate if he is happy and his willingness to live his life.
2. Greater success rate
Psychologist Martin Seligman, the founding father of optimistic behavior and positive psychology, analyzed sports teams and found that the more optimistic teams could create more positive synergy and performed better than the pessimistic ones.
Having a positive outlook in life, helps you gain confidence and thus ensures your success. Companies seem to hire more optimists than pessimists and this practice has been paying them off.
3. Persistence and never giving up quality
Optimists do not give up soon, unlike pessimists. They believe that the bad days are just a part of their journey and sooner or later they are going to achieve the success they want. They know how to strive for what they want.
Pessimists on the other hand give up thinking that nothing is worth it, and this is where they make their biggest mistake.
4. Emotional and mental health
It was discovered in a study of clinically depressed patients, that 12 weeks of cognitive therapy (which involves reframing a person’s thought processes) were better than drugs. It also had a long-lasting effect than a temporary fix. Such is the power of optimism.
5. Less stress
Optimists tend to take less stress in life, unlike pessimists. This is because they believe in themselves and their abilities and also know those bad days are just a part of this long journey. Whereas pessimists tend to stress upon things that they hardly can change, thinking that they lost their chance. Optimists on the other hand believe that they create their chance and they have the power to control their life decisions.
How to be an optimist when the world around you isn’t
Optimism is a choice. If you want to be an optimist despite the negativity surrounding you, you can try to follow simple measures.
Try to create some positive mantras
We cannot always blame others for our negativities in life, because often we are the ones holding ourselves back. There are times when we question our self-worth, questioning ourselves, “Am I good enough?” This is where the problem starts. If instead, we choose to say ourselves “I am good enough but I seek to improve myself”, that is a much more positive approach.
Trust me, nobody is perfect and everyone goes through their insecurities that we are unaware of. We should be a little kinder to ourselves, choosing what is good for us and believing that better days are coming forth. These mantras always work.
Gratitude
Whenever something negative happens, we tend to ponder over it, questioning why it is always us facing the hurdles. This is wrong. Everyone faces their hurdles in life. Instead of questioning the universe’s plan, be a little thankful for all that you have and how the majority of times, everything goes the way you want it to.
Focus on the solution
Pessimists often tend to ponder over a problem instead of looking for a solution of it. Whereas optimists know that you cannot change what has happened and thus finding a solution to it is the only option.
Identify your mistakes
Optimists focus on learning from their mistakes. You need to identify the areas where you need to focus on more so that problems hardly arise out of it. Optimists do not avoid their problems, instead, learn from it and make sure that they are not going to face the same ride again
Optimism is a choice
Optimism is a choice that you should make for the sake of yourself. Accept yourself the way you are and be confident enough that you can reach any heights that you want to. You are worthy of good things and on bad days; realize that it is just a phase that will pass soon. After all, remember,
“O wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”- P.B Shelley
Also Read: Ways To Boost Your Optimism & Overcome Anxiety