Embrace Optimism

Are you a glass half empty kind of person? Or a glass half full person?

Most of us are a mix of the two. From day-to-day, our outlook on the world changes.

Some days we are pessimistic. We let ourselves slip into self-induced funks, or let the daily news convince us that the world is ending.

Other days we can see bright futures. Things are looking good! And we feel confident in our ability to see a better day.

But in reality, all of us should want to be optimistic. We should all be hopeful that our lives, and the world around us is getting better.

And there are some real benefits to being optimistic:

• More Opportunities – If you think opportunities exist, then you are more likely to find them. That’s why optimistic people tend to make more money and enjoy their jobs more. They also tend to try more new things in their personal life.
• Better Relationships – Positive people like being around other positive people. By adopting an optimistic mindset, you can have better relationships with the people around you.
• Healthier Mindset – Not surprisingly, having a positive outlook on life can help reduce stress, and improve your happiness levels. Studies have even linked optimism to living longer.

How To Be More Optimistic

So you want to more optimistic… you know that the glass can be half full. Where do you start?

• Look For Positive Outcomes – Be the person that looks for the positive ways to make something happen. What would a good result be, and how do you get there?
• Build Perspective – As we zoom out on the scale of our lives, we’ll find that many of the “terrible” things that happened to us were not actually so bad. Life moves on.
• Confront Your Fears – Stoic philosophers used a practice called negative visualization, where you ask yourself, “what’s the worst that could happen?” Doing this allows you to confront your fears and build the confidence to take action.
• Focus on Your Control – It’s usually the case that many of the things we are pessimistic about are not actually in our control, such as politics, economic conditions, or other people’s behavior. The optimist would focus their efforts on things they can actually change.

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This post is Day 1 of 21 Days of Simple – Join me today in embracing a more optimistic mindset.