On Optimism

Here's an article from Tickle.com, which I thought I'd share to my readers:

Research has proven that optimists are happier and more successful than their pessimist counterparts are. The primary difference between optimists and pessimists is the way these two types of people view setbacks. An optimist will ordinarily see setbacks as temporary while the pessimist will tend to see them as permanent.

Also, optimists claim less personal responsibility for setbacks than pessimists do. The primary reason that optimists are happier and more successful than pessimists appears to be that optimists are more likely to act, and even take risks, to do something about a setback. Because optimists see setbacks as temporary, they believe that situations are changeable and to some degree within their control.

Pessimists, on the other hand, believe that they're stuck with things being the way they are until the situation changes on its own. Although pessimists can sometimes see reality more accurately than optimists, their passive attitudes are more apt to lead to depression and away from happiness. To become more optimistic, you must change your thought patterns to include more positive thinking. Here are the two major secrets to optimism.

• When something negative happens in your life, tell yourself that "this too shall pass." When you believe that a negative change is temporary, you'll be much more motivated to take action to move things in a more positive direction. Take stock of all the things not affected by the negative change. Acknowledge everything in your life that has remained positive. Making these mental notes can help you see that all is not ruined. In addition, remember that events rarely have a single cause. It's usually a combination of factors. Try to minimize the amount of blame you attribute to yourself when bad things happen.
  
  
• When something positive happens in your life, believe that it is going to last. When you feel that a positive change is permanent, you rid yourself of unnecessary worry and let yourself truly benefit from every new, happy change that you experience. So instead of worrying, focus your attention on all of the things in your life that have been improved by the positive change. Allow yourself to bask in the glow of good fortune. Also consider anything you did that may have helped this change to happen. Feel good about all the ways big and small that you're contributing to your own happiness.