Being optimistic is one of the most valuable traits that you can develop within yourself and it is a quality that will help you to live a happier life and in fact be a better liked person within your organization and even in your personal life. It is also a very important attitude to maintain when you are going through a tough patch or when you are up to facing difficult challenges.

Of course it is sometimes very difficult to remain optimistic when it feels like the whole world is crashing down around you, but if you can do it then you will be sure to reap the rewards.

As very aptly quoted below :

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”– Winston Churchill

Optimism is basically the tendency to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. Always look for and see the positive side.  It is a very admirable quality that can have a positive impact on one’s mental and physical health. Some latest research shows that tempering a sunny disposition with a small dose of realism or even pessimism might be the best way to build resilience and achieve one’s goals. 

So …….. The question arises – How to Remain OPTIMISTIC ?

1. Its important to recognize the value of being Positive: To remain positive then you must first genuinely believe that things are going to get better and that a situation isn’t as bad as it may look. Then there is the also the fact that being positive means you are liable to take the right steps to get yourself out of a situation rather than giving in and experiencing the ‘helplessness response’. In other words you need to recognize just how valuable it is to be positive and how unhelpful it is to be negative. Doing so will give you the determination that you need in order to remain positive and to consciously try to drive out negative thoughts.
2. Be prepared : Always be ready and organized. Have a plan of action steps you may need . If you have a plan it will help you to see a way out, and that in turn will give you confidence to deal with any situation thus leading to optimism. Never take a back seat or be a passive passenger, but make sure that you know what to do in all eventualities and are taking the right steps to improve matters. In fact it would be prudent to have contingency plans for various outcomes so that whatever happens you are ready to deal with matters.
3. Tackle the Worst Case Scenario: Brainstorm possible outcomes and play through your mind the worst possible scenario which may arise. If you do so you may most likely find that things are not really as bad as earlier perceived and that there are many available options you would be able to take, in order to cope. You will find that a lot of the fear of the unknown will leave you.
4. Search for the Positive Elements: Try and find the silver lining in every cloud.  The lessons one learns in life contributes to us growing as a person from the events we need to face and deal with. In other cases it might be that what is your loss is another person’s gain, or moving to a positive note, a bad case scenario may open up other opportunities. Therefore don’t be negative always look for the bright side – that nugget of good tidings in all bad events or news and try to focus your mind on that.
5. Appreciate what you have: Always look for the positive side of things that are there and will in many cases remain. Sometimes the best way to do this is to appreciate the little things that we have in life. Be aware and thankful that we may be much better off than many others. Sometimes, just appreciating the fact that we have food on our table while there are millions going hungry and destitute, will make you think positively.
6. Understand the law of change: Think about the nature of change in a more positive light and don’t try to fight it. Remember that life is made up of a sequence of changes as we go through the different phases of life. At the same time it is also something that only lasts so long – for a certain period. We all go through stages of flux in our lives which may results in chaos, but ultimately every phase settles down one way or another. One has to wait to reach that point but it will come.

SO HOW DO WE CULTIVATE OPTIMISM ?

• Always look for the silver lining in the cloud and avoid negative situations
• Be present and engage yourself in whatever you are doing by practicing mindfulness
• Focus on building positive relationships
• Always set purposeful goals and focus on achieving them
• Cheer yourself on……………….