How to Become an Optimist

Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!
~ Oscar Wilde

If the question that's presently circling your conscious mind happens to be how to get into optimism mode, congratulations! Whether you realize it or not, you have just taken the very first step towards inviting positivity into your life!

The fact that you're contemplating upon making your approach towards life sunnier just shows that you are not oblivious to all that negativity that appears to have engulfed you in recent times. You see, coming to terms with the problem makes managing it that much easier!

So, now that you're all geared towards becoming more of an optimist, here I am, all geared to help you along! Read right ahead to get a load of what changes you need to bring about in your lifestyle and general attitude to be able to crack the Optimism Code!

If you're wondering how to become an optimist, then let me begin with telling you this - it ain't rocket science and becoming optimistic doesn't really warrant those jitters that precede attempts towards an endeavor of mammoth proportions!

So, here are the practical guidelines which, when enmeshed inextricably with your mundane life and general thought process, will help you see the positive side of things.

You see, life is like a coin as it has two sides - one positive and one negative. Tell yourself that you've paid more than necessary attention to the negative side and it's time you paid heed to all that positivity that you've been neglecting till now.

Tell yourself in firm tones and clear words that no matter what, you won't, JUST WON'T, let negativity (be it stress, tensions, depression etc.) get the better of you. Imagine your soul and inner consciousness in the image of a brightly lit candle and make a solemn promise to yourself that no matter what, you won't let anything or anyone blow it out!

Don't you feel protective about those who are close to you, and who you love to a fault? Then what's wrong with being protective of your own right to be happy? After all, it's your birthright to feel good about yourself and safeguard your emotional buoyancy!

Instead of feeling blue about every trifling droplet of negativity, give some thought to whether or not the issue at hand really deserves the magnitude of significance that you're bestowing upon it. Also, consider whether your fretting is, in any way, solving the problem to your advantage.

You see, most of the time, the problems that make us hit emotional depths aren't really worth it and the more you think of it in negative tones, the bigger it seems. Also, if lamenting about the issue doesn't help solve the problem, then what's the use of burning so much emotional energy over it? I'll give you an example from a personal experience.

A very dear friend of mine recently met with a minor accident and cracked the bone of her little toe. Now, the physical pain apart, what made her recovery difficult was her mother's constant lamentations about her condition.

Every time she called (yes, they live in different countries very far apart), she would bemoan about how it's not fair that her child gets to suffer so much (trust me, the fracture was not that serious to begin with...

..the doctor himself said so, along with the fact that a localized cast to fasten the damaged toe to the adjacent one need only be put and that too for just a fortnight!) and how she is worried sick and wishes she could be there to take care of her.

Well, I do understand and appreciate all that mother's concern stuff but all this constant negativity was affecting Leila (my friend's name) adversely. An otherwise sunny person, she stopped speaking and eating properly and would keep brooding and staring blankly at the walls. We got really worried and it was then that I decided to have a chat with her mom.

I told her that I understood her concern, but her way of expressing was doing her daughter no good. I asked her to instead, boost her morale and tell her that she's a strong girl and that she'll get well in no time! Fortunately, she understood and my suggestions worked.

Within a couple of days, Leila became the same talkative, perennially-hungry-for-junk person that we all knew and she began responding to the treatment really well. At the end of a fortnight, her cast came off and her foot felt just fine!

On coming across any negative piece of news, take a few seconds and draw in a deep breath, forcing a smile on your lips all this time.

As with anger, taking some time before reacting or jumping to conclusions is a good way to gauge the magnitude of negativity and decide whether or not it deserves the amount of attention emotional distress and worrying that you, in the first instance, thought it did!

I know people who would get agitated and all aflutter over things ranging from something as silly as a ruined manicure, to something as unhealthy as jealousy over someone else's success or promotion (especially when the worrier knows deep inside that the other person deserved it!).

Know this, if flipping over started solving problems, then I would grab this opportunity to open up a Flippin' Agency that would charge a fee from its clients and hold majestic flipping sessions on their behalf! Considering the number of people who indulge in worrying uselessly, imagine the kind of money such a business would make!

Force yourself to look at the positive side of all situations. Failed an exam? You always have next year to try! Got rejected at one job interview? There are hundreds of other job opportunities out there, probably better ones than this! Learn to see failures as practice lessons.

Learn from your mistakes and you'll be better equipped to take on the challenge at the next opportunity. Every time you lament that you don't have suitable shoes to wear, remember those people who don't have feet and cannot walk straight for the rest of their lives, let alone worry about the right shoes!

Count your blessings, acknowledge your gifts and be thankful that you have something that many others don't. Feeling low over a cheating spouse? Well, I suggest you rather feel thankful for all those wonderful friends who would skip work just to be there for you and provide emotional support in time of your personal crisis! You get the basic idea, don't you?

Last but not the least, pay attention to your health and fitness. You see, a well nourished, fit body invariably makes the mind healthier. When your body is healthy, you can't help but feel good about yourself and that helps a lot in the long run. You see, you can't think positive unless you feel positive, at least physically.

As Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon's character) famously quoted in the 2001 flick Legally Blonde, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands. They just don't!", it is absolutely true that a healthy, positive mind is unavoidable when you have a fit and healthy body.

Eat healthy, exercise regularly and get lots of sleep to keep stress and burnouts at bay. Couple that with the above mentioned tips on keeping your eggs sunny side up and there, you get a buoyant disposition radiant with enthusiasm and positive energy!