Slide 1Har Manzil
SuMaT
Some people are more optimistic by nature, but optimism is not a fixed attribute. It’s a choice
we have control over. Every morning, we either choose to wake up grumpy or wake up with
a positive outlook. Optimistic people handle stress better, get sick less often, live longer, and
are happier and more successful than their pessimistic counterparts.
The good news is that we
can all develop skills to
improve optimism. Here
you started:
1. Find the opportunity in every difficulty.
‘Optimist’ is a word which here refers to a person who focuses on the positive. Optimism
does not mean ignoring the problem entirely; it means understanding that setbacks are
inevitable, often temporary, and that you have the skills and abilities to combat the
challenges you face.
arm in a car accident, she might say in a
hopeful voice, “I’m alive. I don’t have my
left arm anymore, but I do have my right
one, and my life still to live.”
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What you are dealing with may be difficult, but it is important to remain hopeful and
positive about a brighter future. Optimism will inspire a sense of hopefulness and the
confidence that is required to take full advantage of the opportunities that do exist.
Remember, the most beautiful rainbows come from the sunlight after a very dark storm.
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You are only as good as the company you keep. If you’re around gloomy people, there’s
a good chance you won’t to be smiling. Make it your mission to dodge negativity. Surround
yourself with supportive friends who have positive outlooks. As they say, if you want to soar
with the eagles, you have to stop hanging out with the chickens.
2. Surround yourself with positive people.
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Optimism is a learned habit, and it is positively contagious. Surround yourself with
people who could infect you with positivity. In turn pass your new good mood on to
a friend or stranger in words and deed – let somebody have that parking space,
let that person with only a few items cut in front of you at the market.
The simple act of doing something
nice for others is actually a good
pick-me-up all by itself.
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LOVE: It’s the greatest force in the universe. It’s a treasure that people would give
anything for, yet it costs nothing to give and receive. There is an endless supply, and it
can be extended to family, friends and strangers at any moment. It increases positivity
and acts like a shield against negativity. It forgives, heals, encourages and inspires.
3. Give love, receive love, and invest in love.
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Give love, receive love and invest in love every day. Because
where you invest your love, you invest your life.
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A foundation of realism keeps things in perspective, and helps prevent things from being
blown out of proportion. Just because you’re an optimist doesn’t mean you’re not going
to have bad days. You will – that’s reality. Life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies.
4. Be realistic, and expect ups and downs.
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Trying to be 100% positive all the time is wanting to be an ocean in which
waves only rise up and never come crashing down. However, when we
recognize that the rising and crashing waves are part of the same one
ocean, we are able to let go and be at peace with the way things are.
Bottom line: Prepare for the worst but hope
for the best – the former makes you sensible,
and the latter makes you an optimist.
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If you expect the worst, the worst will happen. If you let things bother you, they will. But if
you smile, you’ll feel better. Studies have shown that putting a cheerful smile on your face
can trigger a part of your brain that actually makes you feel happier and more optimistic
about the present and future.
5. Inspire yourself with a smile and positive reminders.
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Also, feed your optimism with positive reminders. Write down short statements
that inspire optimism. Put them in places where you’ll see them every day, such as
on your bathroom mirror, the inside of your locker, and on your computer monitor.
“Anything is possible.”
“Even the longest journey begins with a single step.”
“The only thing I can control is my attitude towards life.”
“I will look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism shine.”
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Pessimism is impractical because it causes you to spend time dwelling on negative things
that haven’t happened yet, while simultaneously preventing you from getting things done
now. Pessimism breeds indecision. It’s a waste of time, and time is a limited resource that
you can’t afford to take for granted.
6. Work on the things you can control.
Every minute spent worrying
to enjoy what life has to offer.
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Acknowledge the things you can’t control and don’t become a victim. Stop thinking about what is
happening to you, and start thinking about what you can do to make it better. Know that you almost
always have a choice. Is your job a bummer? Find a new one. Not ready to leave because of your
401K and vacation time? Then celebrate those reasons and remember that you chose to stay.
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There is so much good, so much beauty, so much love in your life. You have so much
right now to be thankful for, you just need to pause long enough to appreciate it. Do
so. This will help frame a better attitude and take your mind off of the negatives.
7. Count your blessings.
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Start a feel-good journal. Buy a blank journal and fill it with things that make you
smile, like a photo of your pet, or a compliment a friend gave you. Use it to track
your accomplishments and celebrate your victories. Stick only positive things
in your journal and open it up whenever you’re feeling down.
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Research has shown that optimists and pessimists attribute the reasons for success
and failure differently. Pessimists tend to attribute negative events to permanent,
personal, and pervasive factors. Optimists tend to attribute negative events to non-
personal, non-permanent, and non-pervasive factors.
8. Appreciate that nothing in life is permanent.
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Optimists tend to attribute negative events to non-personal, non-permanent,
and non-pervasive factors. ‘Permanent’ are factors that will be with you
throughout life; ‘personal’ are factors that relate to us as individuals; and
‘pervasive’ are factors that affect our ability in other parts of our life.
Bottom line: Nothing is permanent.
However good or bad a situation
is now, it will change.
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People often obsess themselves with the past and the future. But life is happening
right now. You can’t learn something or remember something that’s happening
now if your mind is stuck in another time.
9. Focus on the present.
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It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a new piece of
information into your long-term memory. So don’t let your life and your
mind slip away. Instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the
future, practice being and living in the present moment.
Remember, right now is the only
moment guaranteed to you. Right
now is life. Don’t miss it.
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happiness. –Mark Twain