We’ve all heard about “the power of positive thinking” and if you haven’t, it’s a pretty easy concept to figure out: optimism promotes success. If you run around thinking everything bad happens to you—guess what!? Everything that happens to you is going to be bad. Your perception of the world creates your world; plain and simple.
Ask yourself: is the glass half full, or half empty? Take this quick quiz to find out. If you are an optimist—your glass is half full, good for you! If you are a pessimist—your glass if half empty; you could probably stand to make some positive changes in your life. Even the smallest changes in your thought processes can shape your behavior into a more positive force.
It has been scientifically proven that optimists are healthier—emotionally, physically, and mentally. Optimists have fewer heart attacks than pessimists and recover from medical procedures much quicker. Reference this article on “How the Power of Positive Thinking Won Scientific Credibility”, by Hans Villarica, for more information.
Villarica’s article explains the reason optimists are more successful in business and in life is because they are the problem solvers. Pessimists have a tendency to take things personally and assume the world is working against them. An optimist has a better understanding of the ebb and flow that we call life: bad things happen—no matter who you are; just the same—good things happen when you work hard genuinely put positive effort into your endeavors. The only way to fix a negative situation is to actively try and improve it.
For example, Sally lost a sale. As an optimist, Sally understands that sometimes things don’t work out like she wants them to; the client she was working with simply couldn’t afford the house—case closed. Sally might even take this opportunity to learn from the experience and improve her sales tactics. In the end, she knows she’ll get the next sale and won’t harp on this small set-back. If Sally were a pessimist, she would focus on how things went wrong. She might lose sleep replaying the whole situation in her mind and trying to see how it could have gone differently; her confidence will be bruised and she might even start thinking negatively about her next sales attempt.
Characteristics of optimists:
- Focus on the good
- Believe in the power of gratitude
- Don’t complain much
- See opportunities in almost all situations
- Believe, firmly, in abundance
- Are enthusiastic about personal successes as well as other’s success
- Don’t dwell on the past and accept what cannot be changed
- Believe they are in control of their futures
- Know how to recognize and interrupt negative trains of thought
- Visualize and imagine successful circumstances and situations
- Smile—smiling, even when feeling down, is scientifically proven to boost your mood, and the mood of others. Check out this fascinating article on the power of a smile.
Characteristics of pessimists:
- Complain about almost everything
- Find it difficult to express gratitude
- Focus on the negative
- Expect failure
- Have no sense of control over their environment
- Love to play the blame game
- Think they (or bad luck) are at fault for all failures
- Get stuck in self-pity
- Believe problems are permanent
As you can see, optimists cope—while pessimists mope. However, the important thing is to find the right balance. If you’re overly optimistic you could lose touch with reality and make naïve decisions; while being overly pessimistic will cause you to ignore opportunities that the universe is handing you on a silver platter.
Don’t worry, if you have suddenly realized you’re a pessimist and it’s affecting your life in a negative way—there are ways to retrain your brain and begin to see the lighter side of life. It won’t be easy, but it is possible!
Tune in next week to find out how to train yourself to be more optimistic and attract positive energy into your life.
Have you shifted your attitude to allow positive results into your life? We’d love to hear your stories below.
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