Something to be Optimistic About

Optimism is good for you. Yes, that’s a scientific fact. Being optimistic, having a positive attitude, and looking at the world through realistic but upbeat glasses can not only improve your attitude but also your health.

How do we increase optimism?
According to a New York Times Article, “Pessimism is one of the personality traits that’s highly heritable, but also modifiable by specific exercises,” said Martin Seligman, director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “The Hope Circuit.”

1. Visualize your best self and the best world. It’s possible if you can imagine it. So spend time with the positive and don't spend all your time looking for the potential catastrophes.

2. When things go wrong, it’s not the end of the world. Things do go wrong, we get disappointed, or worse. But that does not mean we assume the worst in people or outcomes. Anticipation is a good thing, don’t cut it short being Eyeore.

3. Play devil’s advocate with your worst thoughts. Go ahead and argue with yourself. When you make the worst interpretation, get into the spiral of doubt and blame, take the other side. Be the voice of reason in your own head.

4. Don’t catastrophize - the big fight, not getting the job, the world events you read about while doom scrolling - try not to interpret them as the end of the world as we know it.

That brings us to our attitude. Pangea founder Joshua Onysko says, “Many things make me feel optimistic. When people make better decisions for the planet, when I see somebody adopting a pet instead of buying one, seeing people hug at airports, positive graffiti, when somebody shares their truth with me, seeing somebody bringing their own cup to the cafe. Everyday we have the opportunity to see the best in people or the worst, we have the choice to be entitled or grateful. These choices set the stage for the quality of life we will have.”

So when you want to bemoan the state of the world, or your life, just for now, try making a decision to see and do something different. Hug someone, argue with yourself, look for ways to save the world instead of assuming it will crash and burn. Even the little things can majorly improve your outlook and your world.