The power of optimism

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in everydifficulty. -- Winston Churchill.

Our emotions and our hearts are inextricably interwoven. A growing body of scientific evidence is beginning to confirm that stress and its associated emotions affect cardiovascular health.

According to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that moderately optimistic individuals who felt that they would be able to get better and return to a normal lifestyle had a 30 percent better chance of surviving than pessimistic individuals.

So, let's define optimism: Optimism is a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.

Attitude is an important aspect of optimism. Lewis Dunning said it best by: "What life means to us is determined not so much by what life brings to us as by the attitude we bring to life: not so much by what happens to us as by our reaction to what happens."

There are many things in life that we cannot control. But one aspect of our life that we do have the power to control is our optimism. There are several factors that may contribute to maintaining an optimistic attitude, such as your past experiences and the experiences of those around you. But you control how you feel.

Optimism in a person can bring about positive results that will result in happiness and contentment for everyone around you.

The universal language of a smile can communicate a positive attitude and a sense of optimism. Smiling spreads optimism and a positive attitude in your day-to-day contacts. Smiling is contagious so try to collect as many smiles and "thank-yous" as you can!

Sometimes we think that we have to start feeling better before we can move forward; we can't do anything until we find a way out of our "rut." This can affect how positive we can be and we often find ourselves following the "fake it until you make it" motto.

However, sometimes exactly the opposite is true: We must start doing something in order to begin feeling better. What are some things you can think of that will help you get out of your "rut"?

Some activities may be to turn off the television, take a walk, work on a puzzle or talk to a friend. Another idea is to keep a "Joy Journal." This is a place where you can keep things that bring you joy. This can be a favorite quote, special pictures, cards, or a personal letter that someone special wrote to you.

Remember, we should challenge ourselves to move beyond past mistakes and commend ourselves for trying to improve and making good decisions. Another way to cultivate optimism in our lives is to get outside ourselves. We can do this by helping others and by building relationships with others.

Ask: What are some ways you would like to help others?

Some ideas may be:

* Donating to your local food pantry.

* Making a quilt for someone.

* Opening the doors for someone.

* Reading to a child.

* Visiting a nursing home

* Sending a thoughtful card.

Did you know that doing random acts of kindness can also make you a healthier person?

A study at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has found one way to decrease high blood pressure: Help someone. Researchers at the university recruited over one thousand older adults with normal blood pressure. Four years later they interviewed the same participants. They found that those who had done volunteer work over the years were much less likely to have developed a blood pressure problem in those four years. In a way, by giving from the heart, you're giving back to your own.

"The healthiest of all human emotions is gratitude" -- Zig Ziglar.

Gratitude will not only make you healthy and happy, it will also change your perspective in life. Grateful people are far more optimistic and see whatever circumstances that they are in as an opportunity for good. Gratitude sweetens our disposition, increases our positivity, and encourages those around us. It is also the antidote for every negative emotion in our lives.

Remember, it's all about choices. We have a choice every day to think about what might go wrong and dwell on what may happen, or we can enjoy the present and look forward to the future.

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