Are You An Optimist?

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”

– Winston Churchill

An optimist is someone who, when faced with a problem, tends to find the upside or positive to the situation and starts looking for ways to solve that problem, or ways in which they can turn the problem around to make it into an opportunity. A pessimist, however, immediately feels overwhelmed by the problem, throws up their hands, and yells something like “That’s it; it’s all over”, “I can’t handle this anymore” or “It’s too difficult”, or they may distance themselves from the problem, pretending it doesn’t matter or hopes that it’ll go away.

According to the world's foremost expert on optimism, Dr. Martin Seligman, everyone is born optimistic. And yet, the vast majority of grown-ups are pessimists, not optimists. Why is this? What changes as people get older? Why do some people seem to see the glass as half-empty whilst others see it as half-full? Is it really as simple as that though, or is it possible for people to be a bit of both?

When you think about it, most people tend to show both qualities and are an optimist sometimes and a pessimist at other times.

A lot of times, how a person tends to view things will depend on how they feel about the situation, and whether it is something that they want to do or not.

Ironically, often when a person feels like something will go well or feels optimistic about it, it usually seems to go well. The same is true when someone feels pessimistic about something or that it won’t go well – it tends not to go well!

An indication that you’re dealing with a pessimist is by the words and phrases that they use in stressful situations, or situations that don’t seem to be going well or as planned. The pessimist will feel helpless, powerless and take on the role of a victim of the situation, and this shows in how they talk as they use phrases such as “I can’t” or “It’s all going wrong” or “There’s nothing I can do”. The optimist, on the other hand, will use phrases such as “How can I change this situation?” or “How does this situation help me?” or “What can I do to improve the situation?”. The optimist is making a conscious choice to accept what is happening and actively looking at a way to either change the situation or how they are viewing it.

An optimist prefers to think more positively. They focus on what they really want, not what might happen to them. An optimist will look to focus on, and take control of, what they can control.

Take a look at the following statements:

• Optimists achieve their goals because they never give up.
• Optimists attract success naturally.
• Optimists are happier, healthier and more energetic than pessimists.
• Optimists are easier to be around and they inspire people around them to be positive.
• Optimists live longer and suffer from fewer and less severe diseases.
• Optimists tend to live a higher quality of life.

These are all probably true just by the fact that the optimists positive thinking changes the way they see challenging situations and reframes the perceived negative outcomes into ways in which the situation helps the person. 

It should be noted that being optimistic is not going through life with ‘rose-tinted’ glasses or sitting back, thinking positive thoughts, and hoping everything will turn out all right. It’s how you see the world, positively rather than negatively. You face each situation, each problem, and each occasion with a positive attitude; and you look for the benefits and positive outcomes that you’ll get from it. You have a choice as to how you view the world, and an optimist has chosen to view it positively. As Norman Vincent Peale said “Change your thoughts and change your world”.

What it ultimately comes down to, is that your attitude is a conscious choice. If you choose pessimism, you’re choosing to see the down side of every situation, judge people unfairly, and live unhappily for the rest of your life. Is that really how you would want to live?

On the other hand, if you choose optimism, you’re empowering yourself to see the positive side of each challenge, seeing the good in people, and helping them to see the good in life too. An optimistic and positive attitude will help you to take action to further improve your life, live happily with friends and family who care about you, and attract good things and opportunities to yourself. Choosing to be more optimistic and positive does not mean you won’t encounter difficult times, trauma, loss and many challenges. What it does mean is that you will have more power on your side to help you get through those tough times. You’ll bounce back faster and make better choices, rather than letting life just wash over you. A positive and optimistic attitude will help you learn to be proactive, instead of reactive.

If you’re not normally optimistic and positive, don’t worry. You can learn how to use your thoughts to change your attitude and emotions. It won’t be easy though and some days will be very challenging, but you can do it. Improving your attitude is one of the most important actions you can take to improve your life. But it doesn't come automatically. It takes effort and deliberate, conscious awareness of your thoughts and feelings, and then acting on that awareness.

Spend time during the day being aware of your thoughts and feelings, and each time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, stop the thought before it goes any further, then look for a positive aspect of the situation. This may seem difficult at first, but the more you do it, the easier it will become and the quicker you’ll be able to identify negative thoughts and change them for positive ones. Each time you do this, you’ll build on your previous positive thoughts and it’ll soon become a habit. Then you’ll start thinking more positively and upbeat about your life.

Give yourself permission to think new thoughts and feel new feelings, especially if you’ve been feeling guilty about something or you feel you don’t deserve the best in your life.

Your attitude plays a critical role in determining the quality of your life and what you get out of it. Being optimistic and positive will help you take the necessary actions to achieve your goals and dreams, and face the challenges that will come your way.