Optimism is one of the most useful and valuable traits that we can possess and it is one that can help us to get through many of life’s challenges and help us to improve our situations in a variety of different ways. Here we will look at some of the most compelling and useful examples of how optimism can help you through life.
Rose Tinted Glasses
First of all, for your psychological wellbeing, and for your general happiness, being able to look at things in a good way is a great skill. The reason for this is that it will enable you to view the same events in a more positive light, so that you can be happier in a more simple existence. At the same time being optimistic will give you a sense of hope so that you can look forward to things changing even when it’s hard to find any positives and this means that things will never look quite so bleak for someone positive.
The Law of Attraction
And then at the same time simply being positive can actually often cause events to turn out better. This might sound farfetched until you learn about the law of attraction which basically states that we draw events and people to us that are similar to ourselves and that our state of mind creates our reality. In other words, if you are more optimistic then you will be more likely to take chances which will mean you’re more likely to be successful. Likewise you will be more likely to smile and to motivate other people, which will mean that you seem more accomplished to your colleagues and your friends, and which will mean that you appear more likeable and more like someone who people want to spend time around. By simply being optimistic you draw people to you, inspire them and generally start to see improvements in your life. On the other hand if you simply spend your time wallowing in how bad everything is, then you will find things just get worse and you enter a vicious cycle.
Then there’s the strong link between optimism and health, which can even help you to improve your immune system – just by thinking you’ll be alright. In fact so powerful is optimism that it even seems to have impact in areas of our life that are hard to explain. For instance it’s been noted that in studies people actually perform better in chance tests if they are optimistic.
In short then if life isn’t going your way, one of the easiest things you can try changing is simply your outlook – and you may just find that things start to pick up when you do. Pessimistic people might tell you they’re being ‘realistic’ but ultimately they’re going to live a life that’s far too ‘careful’ and they’ll be unlikely to fulfil their true potential.