A Dose of Optimism!

Posted by Carpe Diem Moments on February 24, 2013 in Happiness, Inspiration, Life Lessons, Motivation, Optimism, Smile | 7 Comments

“It’s not What You Look At that Matters, it’s What You See.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

As long as I can remember – even when I was a kid – I wanted to Look at the sunny side. Make people happy. Make them smile. On the other hand I did not want to see the negative things. I simply ignored them or didn’t want to talk about it.

We all know when we grow up that life is full of ups and downs, but I still believe that being optimistic is a choice you make. It will help you feel more positive about yourself and the world.

Luckily, in case you are not optimistic by nature, you can change your thinking patterns. I do believe it has to do with changing your perspective in some areas. The 6 ways that help me – when I feel less happy – to change my mindset are:

1. Focus on the good things. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant. It will take your mind off of the negatives. For each bad thought you might have, think of a good thing in your life. Friends, family, chocolate, ….. :-)

2. See challenges instead of problems. Seeing an experience as a challenge will focus our attention on a positive outcome. Instead of thinking about a bad experience, figure out what good can come of it. If something failed, think about what you learned from it. No matter how bad a situation might seem, you always can find something good if you take the time to think about it.

3. Surround yourself with positive people. The attitude of the people around us can be a powerful force for good or bad. Hang out with people with a positive mindset and avoid energy – vampires.

4. Believe in yourself. The best and easiest way to do this is to be positive when it comes to who you are. Remind yourself of the good in you, and don’t spend energy focussing on the negative. We all have positive attributes and it’s up to you to remind yourself of them every day.

5. Smile to see the world through a happier lens.  Smiling is the easiest thing you can do to change your mood and the moods of those around you. If you are stuck in a difficult moment, feel frustrated or bored, smile! You can simply laugh things off. Smiling will also have a positive effect on other people.

6. Inspire yourself  with  positive reminders and/or quotes. Write down quotes to remind yourself how to be more optimistic. Put them in places where you’ll see them every day. Or start with the quotes I’ve collected for this post. :-)

So let’s promise ourselves to look at the sunny side as much as possible and make our optimism come true. A Happy Sunday!