Increased happiness is one of the immediate positive effects of a more optimistic attitude. The fact is, optimistic people tend to experience much greater personal joy on a day-to-day basis than their pessimistic counterparts.“Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us.” ~Earl Nightingale
The prospect of a longer healthier life is also a scientifically proven benefit of living with an optimistic and positive attitude. In contrast, a negative, pessimistic mindset has been shown to contribute to scores of health challenges including immune disorders, cancer, and heart problems. All other factors being equal, a happier life means a healthier life.
11 Practical steps to a more optimistic and positive attitude
Learning to maintain a positive attitude during stressful times can be challenging. It may take some time before your natural response to almost any situation is optimistic. However, when you consider both the short term and long range benefits, your efforts are bound to pay big dividends. Let’s consider 11 simple steps you can start using immediately to move you in a more optimistic direction.1. Think Gratitude. A grateful mindset exerts a powerful influence on your outlook. Not only does it make you feel good in the moment, it also shifts your focus in a positive and optimistic direction. Turn your attention toward your blessings and keep it there. As you focus more on what you are grateful for in your life (even the really small blessings!), you will worry less about anything that may be lacking. As a result, you will experience a more pervasive sense of happiness!
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” ~Cicero
2. Choose Happiness.
Being happy is not about circumstances or any other outside force.
Happiness is a decision we make. Why not make up your mind to embrace happiness,
starting now? Go ahead and make a decision. Let your personal identity
get all wrapped up in the concept of happiness. Fold it around yourself
like a big comfortable blanket.3. Substitute Challenges for Problems. Subconsciously, the word problem says, “Life is not as it should be.” This causes your energy to be funneled toward repairing something that’s gone wrong. On the other hand, the word challenge sends no such message. Instead of trying to repair a malfunction, your resources are recruited to search for a new opportunity. Seeing an experience as a challenge will focus your attention on a positive outcome.“The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.” ~Martha Washington
4. View Life as a Journey. A journey is an adventure of discovery. When we are on a journey we don’t fear change, we welcome it. We look forward to new and unfamiliar experiences. On a journey we are optimistic about new experiences because we are filled with the expectation of a wonderful adventure. This is the perfect positive attitude to carry with you every day.“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”~Winston Churchill
5. Stop and Smell the Roses. When you constantly feel rushed and scattered, it can be difficult to maintain an optimistic outlook. Buying out regular opportunities to focus on simple pleasures can help restore a sense of balance to your life. By pausing briefly to really taste your food or enjoy a beautiful piece of music, you remind yourself of the joy of simplicity.
6. Begin Your Day On a Positive Note. Find a few minutes each morning to clear your mind and then think positive thoughts about the upcoming day. Focus on the people and events that bring you joy or a sense of satisfaction. What’s your favorite part of the day going to be? Take some time to look forward to everything that you will enjoy. Now carry that optimistic feeling with you all day long, even during the less enjoyable activities. Let your optimistic and positive attitude flow into your entire day.“It is always wise to stop wishing for things long enough to enjoy the fragrance of those now flowering.” ~Patrice Gifford
7. Be Positively Aware. Make it a habit to actively search for the positive side of everything. Turn it into a private game. With practice, you will be surprised how easy it becomes to see the not so obvious benefits and pleasures all around you. Being alert to all the reasons to feel optimistic about your life also helps move your attention away from the negative side of life.
8. Act Out Happy. You can use words and body language to program your nervous system. When you make a conscious effort to walk the walk and talk the talk, your feelings will soon follow. Our personal perspective takes a lot of clues from how we act. If you act like a happy optimistic person, your mind accepts that as your reality. Try it and see for yourself.“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~Max Planck
9. Hang Out With Optimistic People. Use the power of peer influence to feed your sense of optimism. The positive attitude of the people around you can be a powerful force for good. Seek out the company of those with a sunny disposition and let yourself be influenced by their optimism. Use the group dynamic to your benefit.
10. Do A Gratitude Review Nightly. This is a great way to end your day. Before you go to bed think of at least ten things that you are truly grateful for. Let yourself feel the joy that those things bring to your life. Fall asleep reflecting on your blessings.
11. Minimize Exposure to Negative Influences. Stop watching, reading, or listening to the news. If you can free yourself from this negative influence it will change your life. Without that pervasive daily dose of despair, you will find it so much easier to be optimistic and to focus on positive things in life.“Reflect each day on all you have to be grateful for and you will receive more to be grateful for.” ~Chuck Danes
They
were born in India, and achieved fame, glory and success in other parts
of the world. Which is why we decided to call them the Global Indian
Women (GIW) — their influence measured by big data research firm
MavenMagnet, which began with a long list of 60 women, all born in India
and making waves outside it (see How We Did It below for more details
on the methodology).
These women earned their spurs across countries — from the United Arab Emirates to, inevitably, the US — but one thi ..
These women earned their spurs across countries — from the United Arab Emirates to, inevitably, the US — but one thi ..
They
were born in India, and achieved fame, glory and success in other parts
of the world. Which is why we decided to call them the Global Indian
Women (GIW) — their influence measured by big data research firm
MavenMagnet, which began with a long list of 60 women, all born in India
and making waves outside it (see How We Did It below for more details
on the methodology).
These women earned their spurs across countries — from the United Arab Emirates to, inevitably, the US — but one thi ..
These women earned their spurs across countries — from the United Arab Emirates to, inevitably, the US — but one thi ..
They
were born in India, and achieved fame, glory and success in other parts
of the world. Which is why we decided to call them the Global Indian
Women (GIW) — their influence measured by big data research firm
MavenMagnet, which began with a long list of 60 women, all born in India
and making waves outside it (see How We Did It below for more details
on the methodology).
These women earned their spurs across countries — from the United Arab Emirates to, inevitably, the US — but one thi ..
These women earned their spurs across countries — from the United Arab Emirates to, inevitably, the US — but one thi ..
They
were born in India, and achieved fame, glory and success in other parts
of the world. Which is why we decided to call them the Global Indian
Women (GIW) — their influence measured by big data research firm
MavenMagnet, which began with a long list of 60 women, all born in India
and making waves outside it (see How We Did It below for more details
on the methodology).
These women earned their spurs across countries — from the United Arab Emirates to, inevitably, the US — but one thi ..
These women earned their spurs across countries — from the United Arab Emirates to, inevitably, the US — but one thi ..
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