Optimism is Power

We often hear about the power of positive thinking but being optimistic actually gives you power.

When you believe in good outcomes you trust in your ability and will have more confidence to work toward your goal.

This is powerful as it gets you going and feeds motivation along the way building momentum toward a goal you believe you can achieve.

Optimism is not only powerful when it comes to traditional goals but also sets the tone for health and happiness in your life to help you overcome life's inevitable hurdles.  In fact, optimists report higher levels of happiness, better health, higher salaries and better relationships.  Positive people are more likable, make better leaders and managers and have lower stress levels. Optimism and flexibility are the two most  sought after characteristics in job candidates as well, companies know that a great attitude trumps aptitude nearly all the time. Optimism is power in your personal and professional life. 

It is not all rose colored glasses either, optimism is realistic and desirable even in our modern complex world.
Keep in mind that while life will always be a mixture of experiences not all of them good but all of them hold something good for us if we are patient and open minded. Optimists chose to believe in the best and cope with the rest. 

Believing in good outcomes may not guarantee the exact outcomes we think we want but it greatly improves our chances  and enables us to see the best in what does come our way. It would seem with all this evidence that we would all be optimistic, but of course we are not. While some of us are born with a naturally sunny attitude and others tend to have a cloud perpetually over our heads, we each have the ability to cultivate more optimism regardless of DNA. Even when life beats us down optimism not only believes the best of the circumstance but helps us to connect to the best in our selves and our ability to do well.

Some ways you can cultivate optimism:

Make a movie create a short video in your minds eye of your ideal life. See how it looks when everything turns out well. How do you look and feel? What are you doing? Who are you surrounded by? How does it feel? Play this video on a regular basis, at least once a day to retrain your brain and create new habits of thinking. It only takes a minute but is a powerful tool that will boost your mood and increase your motivation almost immediately.

Catch and change negative thinking They say up to 90% of behavior is habitual. That is what keeps us stuck but also the best tool to use to get unstuck.

Make a point to be aware of negative thoughts, challenge them, is it true? Is anything else possible? Be honest. Chose more positive thoughts and stay on it.

Create new habits that support you to replace things that don’t. What types of positive, inspirational, supportive things can you add to your life?

Podcasts, books, support groups, good friends, seminars, exercise, meditation, nutrition and so on can help you shift gears and stay on track. Be very aware of who you spend time with; attitude and energy are contagious.

Acceptance never means settling it simply means accepting what is true, not struggling against what’s a fact or has already occurred. It is letting go of the should’s and seeing what is. Once you accept the way things, people or you are your optimism kicks in to make the best of it. Begin to accept reality rather than allowing it to knock you down for the count. We all get knocked down, an optimist just gets up and keeps going believing they will  eventually find a way to win the fight.

Shift your focus to be solution oriented. When challenges occur do not waste energy on being upset or complaining start looking for a solution or the best attitude you can muster while whatever it is passes. Everything passes.You cannot be a victim and a victor the same time.

Celebrate and Give Thanks Take note of when things go well, celebrate all your victories big and small and be grateful for yourself and your life. It may sound simplistic but taking the time to count your blessings will instantly boos your mood and attitude. It is important to pause and see what is good and right in your world to fuel you to create more.