Are you an optimist, or do you tend to be more of a pessimistic person? Since the dawn of time, music and poetry have discussed the benefits of being a positive person. Scientists have discovered that optimism and living on the sunny side of life can significantly impact things like your longevity on this earth and the strength of your social connections.
Folks like to surround themselves with positive people because it makes them feel better. No one wants to be around someone who whines and complains all the time, as they’re like a damp blanket thrown across a fire. Do you know a person who’s always negative and has a dark cloud of sadness that follows them wherever they go?
Why should you strive to be positive, and how can this benefit you in life? What advantages are being fueled by optimism rather than suffocated by negativity?
Ten Reasons Why Optimism Is So Important in Life
It’s effortless to mope and be upset about the things life has thrown your way. However, it takes a strong person to rise in the face of adversity and be happy anyway.
Being positive makes you a better person, and having an optimistic outlook means that getting out of bed tomorrow won’t seem like an arduous task. Here are reasons that prove why being optimistic is best for you and those around you.
1. Optimism Means You’ll Have a Better Mindset
You must develop a positive mentality, as your mind controls your entire body. It would help if you had the proper mental position to keep things functioning normally. You can achieve so much more than you ever thought possible when you have an optimistic mindset.
Remember the old storybook where the little engine said, “I think I can, I think I can?” The world is your oyster when your mind is set towards success and good things. However, when you are constantly thinking about negative things, it can cripple you emotionally.
2. It Benefits Both Your Mind and Body
Your words are powerful, and science has discovered that optimistic people will live longer than negative ones. The Today Show referenced a study conducted by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and they found that people who live to be 85 years old and beyond do so by being positive. Additionally, they found that your demeanor is 25 percent dictated by genetics.
3. You’ll Have Better Social Networks When You Exude Optimism
Folks find that being around individuals who think that their glass is half-full is much easier than those who are constantly negative. When you’re a positive person, you tend to have more friends and manage those relationships much more manageable. These bonds can impact your social life in both professional and personal settings.
Additionally, your positive or negative attitude can directly impact your health. There are many advantages to being a positive person, and if you’re born with an optimistic spirit, consider yourself lucky.
4. Optimism Helps You to Overcome Setbacks
There will be many setbacks in your life’s journey, but it’s not how many times you fall that matters. People are watching you and rooting for you, and when you exude positivity, you can get back up no matter how many times you stumble. You’re a survivor and can overcome almost anything.
5. Better Opportunities Will Come Your Way
The Universe rewards folks who have a good outlook on life. If you had to fill a customer service position, would you want to give it to a bubbly person who has a good perspective, or would you provide it to a sour person who barely cracked a smile?
Better opportunities will come your way because positivity is attractive. Your outlook can have blessings come to you that you never dreamed possible when you have the right attitude.
6. You’ll Be Your Best Self
Since you’re here on earth and trying to do what’s right, why not be the best version of yourself? Can you be your best self when you’re full of positivity?
If you live every day in doom and gloom, you’re going to have mental health issues like depression and anxiety. You can help change your path by choosing optimism.
7. Optimism Allows You to Be More Solution Focused
An endearing characteristic of a positive person is that they desire to fix problems that come their way. They are solution-driven rather than falling to pieces at the first sign of trouble. They use their solution-based thinking to find creative resolutions, making them proactive. No wonder these folks are happier, as they don’t sweat the small stuff.
8. You Won’t Be Afraid of Failure
When you play basketball, you want that ball to have plenty of bounce. A ball that’s half-flat will fall and stay down. However, the one pumped full of air will spring back and dance all over the court.
When you view the world with optimism, you won’t be afraid of failure as you know you will “bounce back.” No one likes a flat basketball, nor will they like a person so weighed down with pessimism. Positivity is the spring in your step that will keep you dancing and enjoying life.
9. Most are Future Orientated Thinkers
According to Science Direct, the Recency Effect is a term describing people who tend to remember the most current events in their life. For instance, if you’ve just had a job loss and a turn of bad events, the person controlled by this effect will expect the bad luck to continue.
However, when you’re full of optimism, you realize that you must look at the big picture rather than getting caught up in all the small details. Optimism tells you to keep moving forward, and you know that you can’t become stalled just because of a bit of setback.
10. You’ll Be One of the Great Communicators
Communication skills are essential in both your personal and professional lives. When you adopt an optimistic outlook, you have no issue communicating and sharing your desires with others.
You can always find something to talk about, and you make it easy to get to know you. People will find you endearing because your life is an open book, and you’re also eager to hear their story.
11. You’ll Learn to Use the Language of Motivation
Did you know that a language called motivation is a gift that leaders possess? You’ve likely had many bosses in your day, and the ones that know how to motivate you will always be the ones that stick out in your mind. In modern history, Sir Winston Churchill was a person who spoke this language.
He was tough as nails, but he was also known as one of the best leaders of all time. Why do his leadership skills stand out from the rest? It’s because of his great optimism. Remember when the British were losing badly during the war, he motivated his people and turned them around. Soon, they saw the same vision he had for the future of his country and were able to win.
Yes, all odds were against him, but his positivity helped him conquer the enemy. In his mind surrendering to the Germans was not going to happen, so he used his powerful influence to motivate the people. You’re able to move mountains when you think positively. People will be drawn to your positive nature and will believe in you.
12. Your Behaviors Are Infectious to Others When You Display Optimism
Happiness is contagious. Have you ever been in a dark room and opened the blinds to let the sunshine inside? As soon as the first slat was twisted open, the light would flood the room enveloping every surface. The same thing happens with optimism.
When you go into an atmosphere of depression and darkness, you can’t help but be a bright light of inspiration for others. Positivity is infectious, and you can spread it around.
Final Thoughts on Why Optimism Is So Important
Someone who has optimism is always hopeful and never defeated. These folks tend to be better in all aspects of their lives, including their careers, relationships, and even on a personal level. Using the power of positivity, they have learned to keep stress and drama away.
They are well equipped to deal with issues when challenging situations arise because they have the right mindset. While it’s easy to get caught up in all the drama of the day, they tend to focus on the big picture rather than the minor inconveniences that pop up. They’ve learned to always search for a positive in a negative situation, and their health shows it.
It’s no wonder that studies show that those who live on the sunny side of life tend to have greater longevity. What can you do to become a more positive person, and how can it improve your quality of life?
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