Being optimistic is a choice that we make consciously, it doesn’t come to us naturally. In fact, by default humans are fearful and think negative, that’s the way our mind works.
Our mind has one essential priority and that is to protect us and keep us alive. One vital aspect of keeping us safe is our natural fear of the unknown, it makes us cautious and anticipate dangerous outcomes.
However, if we do not become aware of our habitual thinking, our mind keeps functioning by default, on auto-pilot, governed by our learned habits.
While keeping ourselves safe is required, uncontrolled negative thinking is harmful. Living in stress and fear is detrimental to the quality of our life.
Your thoughts are the source of your emotions and mood. It’s up to you to go with the default functioning of your mind or instead, be more attentive to your thoughts. You can practice ignoring the automatic negative chatter of your brain and voluntarily shift your focus where you want.
Whatever you focus on, you’ll fuel with your energy. You can definitely train yourself to, consistently, place your attention on the things that you want to happen. If you come to realize that negative thinking will attract negative energy and positive thinking will attract positive energy; you wouldn’t let any negative thoughts dwell in your mind.
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so. If you assume there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there’s a chance you may contribute to making a better world. The choice is yours.”
~ Noam Chomsky
Research has shown that optimism is linked to wellbeing. Optimistic people can handle stress smoothly and regulate their emotions better. They have better physical health and live longer.
Optimism is a positive emotion that you have about your future. It encourages you and makes you work for your goals with more enthusiasm. It gives you the strength to persevere because you are expecting a positive outcome.
The more optimistic you are about a goal, the more ready you are to put effort into realizing it. While if you have a negative look on your goal, you’ll think that it’s too difficult for you to attain. Just by doing so, you’ll sap your energy and will feel less inclined to put any effort into your it.
“How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.”
~ Gilbert Keith Chesterton
Optimism is a happiness magnet, the more we are optimistic, the stronger is the force of our magnetic field. Happiness increases productivity and creativity. Many people think that happiness is brought by success but in fact it is happiness that brings success. By being optimistic you will attract good things into your life. It will increase your social connections and will boost your energy. All of this will certainly lead to more success in your life.
Finally, I would say that optimism is a fundamental success skill. You need to practice it if you have the desire to live a happier and a more fulfilled life. We can be optimistic, joyful and grateful, even if our life has challenges. You can always find things to be grateful for.
The attitude you choose to have toward life is the key to a better life quality. So, let’s work on being optimistic, each day!
