11 Things Optimists Want You To Know
This
goes out to anyone who has ever been told to get her head out of the clouds.
Optimists
are known for their perky dispositions and even more so for their overly
positive outlook on every situation they encounter -- a viewpoint that some may
criticize as not grounded in reality.
But
just because optimists see life through a glass half full doesn't mean that
it's entirely a bad thing. Like everyone else, they have a way of adapting
their personality to the world around them.
Here
are just a few things optimists want everyone to understand about their
sunny state of mind.
1. They understand bad
things happen.
Optimists
aren't naive to negative events -- they just have a different way of looking at
them. In other words, some people see rain, optimists see rainbows.
"There are certainly plenty of
challenges we all experience," Melissa Blakeman, the regional
medical director at Johns Hopkins University, previously told HuffPost.
"Positive people approach them head on, with a 'this too shall pass'
mentality. There's that idea that they've been through challenges before and
they've made it through."
Bright-side
thinkers hope for the best but don't necessarily prepare for the worst. This
method, also known as strategic optimism, is applied when they're preparing for
a big presentation or a situation where there's a lot of pressure. If they play possible outcomes in their
minds, their anxiety actually increases and their performance suffers, according to Wellesley
College research.
3. They daydream. A
lot.
Optimists
fantasize about good things happening to them, whether it be success at work,
progress in their romantic relationships or even just winning the lottery. But
don't pity them for being lost in the corners of their own minds. Research
suggests daydreaming has a host of brain perks, including boosted
creativity.
4. They tend to be
late.
Optimists
are what you would call "time averse." They unrealistically think the
traffic won't be terrible or believe they can get just a few more things done
before they leave, which affects their perception of
time, Never
Be Late Again author Diana DeLonzor told the New York Times.
Step
aside, Negative Nancy. Optimists, more importantly strategic optimists, feel
drained when they're around catastrophic thinkers because it plays into that
"worst possible outcome" mentality they avoid.
6. They're
resourceful.
Many
of the world's most successful entrepreneurs adopted the same can-do attitude
optimists have. Take Steve Jobs, for example, who called himself an optimist. He failed multiple times before his
vision for Apple took flight. Why? Because he put in the work and found
the resources to make it happen.
Of
course not every situation is going to turn out positively or like they
planned. That's life. Sure, it'd be nice if everything happened
perfectly,unicorns existed and Brad Pitt was single and waiting outside with
flowers -- but it's fun to think about, right?
8. They're champions
of second chances.
Optimists
look for the best in everything -- that includes the people they let into their
life. This means mistakes are usually forgiven because they want to believe
people when they say they will change or only have good intentions.
But
don't take that to mean they'll settle for toxic relationships or negativity.
According to Blakeman, optimists usually surround themselves
with people that only perpetuate positivity
.
9. They tend to be
risk takers.
Glass-half-full
thinkers jump into things easily because they hope for the best -- but that may
not always be the best thing. Research suggests that extreme optimists make risky investments and save less
money than others. Perhaps
everything is best in moderation.
10. They might be
healthier.
Research
shows that practicing optimism may lead to better longevity, healthier hearts
and improved cholesterol. Enough said?
Optimists
are resilient. Thus, they see failure as an opportunity to try again (or, at
the very least, try something new). This attitude also pays off in spades:
Studies suggest there's a significant relationship between psychological resilience
and positive emotions
Lindsay Holmes Healthy Living Editor, The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/11-things-optimists-want-you-to-know_55d4a089e4b0ab468d9f341f?adsSiteOverride=in&kvcommref=mostpopular§ion=india&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003&ir=Healthy+Living
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