How do we know we're Optimists?

Optimism, in fewer words, is a mental attitude characterised by hope and confidence in success and a positive future. Optimists expect good things to happen, whereas pessimists instead predict unfavourable outcomes. Optimistic attitudes are linked to several benefits, including better coping skills, lower stress levels, better physical and mental health, and higher persistence when pursuing goals.

If we always see the brighter side of things, there are chances that we experience more positive events in our lives than others, find ourselves less stressed, and even enjoy more significant health benefits. An example of optimism is believing that there will always be opportunities to make things better tomorrow, even if we are experiencing challenges today.

How to be an Optimist?

Some people might believe that people are born with optimism. However, optimism is actually a personality trait and ability that individuals can choose to develop. If we want to become more optimistic, here are five key steps to consider incorporating into our habits and lifestyle:

1. Gratitude: An?Attitude

William Arthur Ward once said: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” Gratitude is the gift that keeps on giving. Frequently thanking the Almighty, the family and the friends is not only noble, it is smart. Optimists who are wise and generous enough to make it a year-round practice will be rewarded with healthier and more robust careers.

A study found that making a regular and deliberate effort to record one’s blessings improves a range of outcomes related to mental health and overall well-being. Tracking our number of gratitudes that are due is an increasingly popular personal practice. We have to get over whatever is holding us back from expressing thanks. In fact, it should be a central feature of our lifestyle.

2. Create Positive?Mantras

Let’s develop positive mantras, affirmations or aphorisms for ourselves. An affirmation is a message we repeat to ourselves throughout the day that has a positive message. We can write down our mantras and read them regularly or simply think about them.

Here are some examples of positive mantras for us to use or modify:

1. I am learning and growing every day.
2. I am worth more than my mistakes.
3. My challenges help me learn and develop.
4. This is going to be fine, eventually.
5. My life matters.

3. Find Good in Everything

We often tend to see a half-filled glass as half empty rather than half full. Trust me there is no situation that terrible that we cannot find a solution of. As we often hear there is a light at the end of the tunnel. A classic example of two people visiting the same restaurant. One may spend time finding faults of the ambiance and service level and complaining about the food and everything else, while the other person may feel great in being with the friends or family and enjoying his/her meal from the large buffet menu.

Both are in the same environment. One is finding what is wrong and the other is looking for what is good and joyous. When they both leave the restaurant, one will say that s/he had a terrible time, and the other will say s/he had a great time. Which one will feel more uplifted and buoyant? Similarly, each day we face many certain situations. We can choose to focus on the bad ones and spend the rest of our time complaining and being disappointed, or we can choose to focus on what is good and take joy and pleasure from it.

4. Consciously Focus on Positive?Thoughts

Let’s learn to create happy thoughts for ourselves. While it might feel strange to purposefully give oneself positive thoughts, doing so can help train our brains over time to naturally provide more positive messages and beliefs for us.

One tactic for this is to reframe our thoughts that are not as happy or hopeful. For instance, if we think “I can’t do this,”see if we can alter this negative thought into positive self-talk instead, such as:

1. I may not have done this before, but I’m confident I can succeed now.
2. I might make some mistakes, but I can learn from them and keep making progress.
3. I have faced other challenges before, so I can overcome this one too.

5. Let’s ask these questions

The people we spend time with have an enormous influence on our health, happiness, career and life opportunities. It’s important that we choose wisely. Whether in a professional or personal context, this concept of choice is highly relevant. We are actually the average of who we spend the most time with. Let’s ask these questions to ourselves:

1. Who am I spending the most time with?
2. What sort of impact are they having on my life?
3. What would I like to be different?
4. What’s the first step in making that a possibility?

As George Fuechsel rightly said: Garbage in, garbage out . Let’s try and stay away from people who give us negative vibes and Interact with people who have positive outlook towards life. The people around us can have a profound impact on our emotions, thoughts and perspectives. We might also find an optimistic mentor or an optimist in our network whose behaviours we observe and try to emulate.

Last Word

As always, communication is the key. Let’s tell ourselves positive, balanced stories: let’s Be open about bad news and counter it with good news. In doing so, we show that there is a way through the current crisis, motivating ourselves and our people to make plans and drive forward.

I’ve previously written about overcoming self-doubt and What if I am wrong ? and yes, there is always an element of trusting the gut, but we must also be realistic. An optimistic leader is one who is willing to take a calculated risk to reach the right outcome.

Related Articles

1. How staying positive helps at work ?
2. Leading a fulfilling life: A dream or a reality ?
3. Never Give Up

About the?Author

Muhammad Sajwani is a C-Level HR, Transformation Leader, Board Advisor, Business Coach & Organisational Consultant working in the capacity of Managing Director, Evolve HR . He is an author, columnist and a contributor who besides writing for other platforms also regularly writes at BizCatalyst 360 . He brings along 30+ years of local & international experience. He is a change catalyst specializing in unleashing the human Dreamgenius through Leadership, Creativity and Change Management. Muhammad has been instrumental in helping organizations come to terms with organizational changes like right-sizing and business process re-engineering. His innovative approach & high personal competence encourages people to not only accept change, but also to excel in it. Muhammad has diverse experience in conducting strategic & management development programs, conferences & events for organisations across sectors.