Changing Your Thoughts For Optimism

The biggest challenge with making the transition to optimism is the changing of your current thoughts. You need to have unwavering belief in your ability to change your thoughts if you want to be successful. There are plenty of examples of people that have changed their thinking to be more optimistic in their life. You can do it too.

 

Deal with your Self-Talk

 

You will have self-talk going on in your head most of the time. Self-talk can be both positive and negative and it is the way that you deal with negative self-talk that is the most important factor. If you are not able to challenge any negative self-talk then you will never be an optimist.

 

Even when you start to become more optimistic, negative self-talk is still likely to happen. If you let this linger then it will result in a negative thinking spiral. You can neutralize any negative self-talk with positive self-talk.

 

Reframe Negatives into Positives

 

We have a tendency to focus more on negative thoughts than we do positive ones. This is something that you can and must change if you want to be an optimist. Every time that you experience a negative thought then you must neutralize it with a positive one.

 

Let’s say that you experience a negative thought like “I can’t do this”. The best way to do with this is to think “I can do anything”. You will need to be persistent with your neutralizing from negative to positive. After a while you will experience far fewer negative thoughts.

 

You need to move away from your Comfort Zone

 

One of the main reasons that there are so many pessimists is because they do not want to venture outside of their comfort zone. Optimists are happy to move away from their comfort zones because they see this as a way to grow as an individual.

 

An optimist is always willing to do things that they have never done before, whereas a pessimist will run away from new challenges. Look to break out of your comfort zone by doing as many new things as you can.

 

Identify what you want and Focus on it

 

A pessimist has no idea what they really want from their life. As a result, they are controlled by life and just drift along aimlessly. If you want to be an optimist then you need to take the time and effort to identify what you want and then focus your attention on this.

 

Most people have no clue what they want because it takes effort to think about this. It is much easier to sit in front of the TV watching meaningless junk or while away the hours doing pointless things on social media. You need to commit to finding out what you want and setting goals to achieve this.

 

Identify and Eradicate your Limiting Beliefs

 

The reason that you are not an optimist right now is because you probably have a number of limiting beliefs that are holding you back in life. Most of these limiting beliefs probably started when you were a child so they are not going to be easy to eradicate. But eradicate them you must.

 

One of the most effective ways to eradicate limiting beliefs is to use neuro linguistic programming (NLP). There are specific techniques designed to replace limiting beliefs with empowering ones that will make you more optimistic.

 

How Thoughts Relate To Optimism

If you want to be an optimist then it is very likely that you will need to change your thinking. Our thoughts are very powerful. What you have or don’t have in your life right now is down to your thoughts. Every action that you take in life is driven by a thought. 

 

As human beings we have to contend with a lot of thoughts swirling around in our heads each day. Some of these thoughts are positive and some are negative. The way that we handle these thoughts defines who we are.

 

You are in Control of your Thoughts

 

It might not seem like it at times, but you are in total control of your thoughts. A lot of people don’t believe this and believe that they have been dealt a specific hand in life and that they are stuck with this. Don’t believe this because it isn’t true.

 

You can change your thoughts and you will need to do this to transition to an optimist. A pessimist will pay attention to all of the negative thoughts that they experience. These can be from their own self-talk or triggered from an external stimulus. An optimist will manage the thoughts that they experience.

 

Our Thoughts, Emotions and Behaviors are Linked

 

Only when you pay attention to a thought do you give it power. When you focus on a specific thought you will experience emotion about it. If the emotion is strong enough it will change your state and this will result in a behavior change.

 

This can work in an empowering way or a disempowering way. If you are focusing on a positive thought then this can lead to strong emotion and a desire to make good things happen. The opposite is true if you focus on a negative thought.

 

Repetitive Thoughts Shape your Life

 

The thoughts that you experience over and over again will shape your life. If you experience the same thought many times it can quickly become a habit. Habits can be good or bad of course. Each time that you think the same thoughts you will strengthen the habit that you have formed.

 

If you want to be an optimist then you will need to break negative thought patterns that you have. This is not easy to do but it is certainly possible using the right methods and with consistent effort. 

 

Your Subconscious Mind is so Powerful

 

Your subconscious mind is where everything is stored that you do on autopilot. Once you learn to drive you will do this automatically after a while. It becomes a habit and is stored in your subconscious. 

 

You will also store your beliefs in your subconscious mind. Beliefs can empower you or they can limit you. In order to make the transition to optimism, you will need to identify and eradicate any limiting beliefs that you hold.

 

Your Subconscious is Reprogrammable

 

The good news is that you can reprogram your subconscious mind to help you make the transition to optimism. With your subconscious mind on your side and not working against you, there will be no stopping you.

 

If we could not reprogram our subconscious minds then change would be extremely difficult if not impossible. We would have to remember to make each change consciously which is not likely to be successful in the long term.

 

How To Stop Being A Pessimist

The first step that you need to take to transition to optimism is to stop being a pessimist. There is a reason for your pessimism and the most likely one is that you are being pessimistic to hide some insecurities that you have. Optimism and positive thinking are the opposite of pessimism, so you need to do everything you can to stop your pessimistic ways.

 

Tackle Irrational Fear

 

We all have irrational fears, but pessimists seem to have more than most. If you want to be an optimist then it is critical that you tackle the irrational fears that are holding you back. The most effective way to do this is to tackle them head on.

 

Over the years you will have strengthened your irrational fears by acting on them so it will not be easy to overcome them. But when you confront your irrational fears head on and overcome them, you will give your self-confidence a much-needed boost.

 

Change from Rigid Thinking to Flexible Thinking

 

Most pessimists are rigid in their thinking. They believe that they can either do something or they can’t and that there is no other possibilities. Pessimists tend to focus on these “impossibilities” and this holds them back.

 

With flexible thinking, you will always believe that there is another way. If you cannot do something right now then you can change this with persistence and time. Flexible thinking will allow you to see other possibilities.

 

Don’t be controlled by others

 

Worrying about what other people think about them is a common trait for pessimists. They are afraid to do anything new just in case someone disapproves of what they are doing. An optimist will take responsibility for their own life and will not care what other people think.

 

If you have this problem then you need to change your thinking here. Most people are far too busy to concern themselves with what you are doing. When someone does state an opinion, you do not have to accept this as fact. Most of the time it will not be true anyway.

 

Reduce your Exposure to Negativity

 

Pessimists will thrive on negativity. When you want to change to be an optimist then you need to reduce your exposure to negativity as much as you can. This includes people and things that are negative. It will not be possible for you to totally avoid negativity but reducing it as much as you can needs to be your aim.

 

Social media is a haven for negativity so reduce the amount of time that you spend on it. It doesn’t matter if you are not connected all of the time. Missing some meaningless notifications will not be a problem. 

 

Express Gratitude

 

Pessimists usually focus on the things that they do not have in their lives. They are always wanting something new and are not satisfied until they get it. Optimists are grateful for what they have and know that expressing gratitude will result in further abundance.

 

Take a look around you and express your gratitude for the people and the things that you have in your life right now. While you are focusing on this you will not be worrying about your future or the mistakes that you made in the past.

 

Other Ways To Give Your Optimism A Boost

There are numerous ways that you can give your optimism a boost. We have another five effective methods that you can use in this article. Boosting your optimism is something that you need to focus on if you want to be a true optimist. So, let’s get started with these methods, shall we?

 

1. Use Visualization to see your Best Self

 

If you don’t know how to visualize then use the many free resources online to learn how to do this. It is a very powerful tool that will help you with your optimism and other areas of your life. We recommend that you use visualization techniques to imagine your best self. This will really help to boost your optimism if you do it often enough.

 

Optimists usually set challenging goals for themselves and you can use visualization to help you here as well. Imagine that you have achieved a goal already and feel how good this is. Make your feelings as strong as you can. After a few visualization sessions your motivation levels will be extremely high to achieve your goals.

 

2. Use the Past as a Useful Reference

 

A lot of pessimists dwell on their past mistakes and this creates stress and tension for them. Accept that your past has gone and that it only really serves you as a useful reference. Just because you failed with something before does not mean that you will fail with it again. Learn from the mistakes you made in the past and then move on.

 

The only reason that your past will haunt you is if you let it. Don’t drag your past into your future. All of us make mistakes and all you can do is learn from this. Let go of the past and focus on being an optimist.

 

3. Use your Past for Reminiscing

 

One positive way that you can use the events of your past is to reminisce about the good things that you did. You are sure to have done something against the odds, so think back to this time and wallow in the glory. 

 

Any event in your past that made you happy is good to reminisce about. Think of the challenges you had at school or work and the people that you had relationships with. When you reminisce like this it can put you in a better mood and make you more confident about your future.

 

4. Create and Use Positive Affirmations

 

Creating your own set of positive affirmations and reciting them on a regular basis is a great way to boost your optimism. Each time that you read your affirmations out load (or in your head) you will feel an optimistic energy forming in your body.

 

You can use positive affirmations to reprogram your subconscious mind. This will help to strengthen your optimism. Be sure to read your affirmations when you get up in the morning as this will give you a great start to the day.

 

5. Listen to Music that makes you Optimistic

 

You will have certain songs that you like that really fill you with hope, energy and purpose. Usually, these songs have an association with special events in your life. Think about what these songs are and make sure that you can play them whenever you need to boost your optimism.

 

The Personality Benefits Of Optimism

Making the transition from pessimism to optimism can be a tough journey so you want to be sure that it is worth your time and effort. In this article, we will look at the personality benefits of optimism. This means how optimism will change your character so that you can make your life better than it is now.

 

Optimists are usually Achievers

 

As an optimist you are likely to have a high self-worth and total belief in your abilities. In contrast, a pessimist does not have a lot of faith on themselves or their abilities to get things done and achieve challenging goals.

 

Martin Seligman is considered to be a world leader in positive thinking. He believed that optimists are likely to achieve much more than pessimists and he set out to prove this. Seligman decided that he would analyze different sports teams to see what role positive energy played for them.

 

After analyzing a number of sports teams, Seligman concluded that those that were more optimistic and positive in their outlook created a real positive synergy with team members. These teams were a lot more victorious in their endeavors and would usually always beat teams that were more pessimistic.

 

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense that an optimist will achieve more than a pessimist. An optimistic person will have strong belief in their abilities and they believe that all of their talents and other positive personality traits are responsible for the positive events in their life.

 

An Optimist probably won’t Give Up

 

One trait that optimists seem to have in abundance is persistence. They accept that things are going to go wrong sometimes. Instead of letting any setbacks overwhelm them, they see them as an opportunity to learn and grow as a person.

 

Pessimists are much more likely to give up on something at the first sign of trouble. They associate lots of effort and stress to resolving problems and will usually run away from them. An optimist will take on any problem and overcome it in order that they can achieve their goals.

 

Optimists are “Luckier” than Pessimists

 

If you know any optimists then you might consider that they are a lot luckier than you in different aspects of life. As an example, an optimist is more likely to receive a lot more job offers than a pessimist is. Luck has nothing to do with this. People will always feel more attracted to those that have a positive outlook on life.

 

Over the years there have been numerous studies showing that optimists have better salaries than pessimists. The studies showed that optimists are also more likely to start on a higher salary than a pessimist. In the world of business, the vast majority of successful people are optimists.

 

Optimists tend to be more passionate about their jobs or their businesses which helps a great deal. On the other hand, a pessimist will spend a lot of time complaining about their job. Pessimists are often overlooked for promotion as well.

 

Optimists are more fun in Relationships

 

This is another thing that makes total sense. People are going to prefer to be in a relationship with someone that has a positive outlook on life than a person who is negative about everything. Relationships where there is at least one optimistic tend to last longer than relationships between pessimists.

 

The Health Benefits Of Optimism

A lot of people don’t realize that there are a number of health benefits associated with optimism. In this article, we will discuss the major health benefits which we hope will inspire you to lead an optimistic life rather than a pessimistic one.

 

Optimists Tend to be Healthier in General

 

Having a positive outlook on life will tend to make you feel a lot better. Your wellbeing will be very important to you because you need this to achieve your goals and enjoy a brighter future. There have been studies in many countries across the world about optimism and its impact on health.

 

All of these studies concluded that optimistic people are 50% less likely to suffer from heart disease or other issues with their cardiovascular system. Should an optimist contract a serious illness, they are much more likely to make a full recovery from it.

 

Similar studies have been conducted with pessimists and negative individuals. The results of these studies showed that pessimists are a lot more likely to suffer from a serious illness and their chances of recovery are a lot slimmer.

 

Optimism leads to greater Longevity

 

If you are an optimist then you are likely to live longer. This was confirmed with a famous retrospective study of famous baseball players in the United States. All of the players were Hall of Famers and active from 1900 to 1950. The most optimistic of all these players lived a lot longer than the pessimistic ones.

 

There have been other studies with people that had serious diseases. Where a patient was more optimistic, the studies showed that they had a much higher chance of making a recovery and living a long life.

 

Optimists tend to have superior Mental Health

 

Most people think that if they are suffering from mental health problems that drugs like antidepressants are the answer. Some studies proved that helping people with mental health issues to reframe negatives into positives was far more effective and long lasting than any drugs. 

 

Anxiety and depression are common mental health problems that optimists rarely suffer with. An optimist has a positive outlook on life and will not let the setbacks that they experience overwhelm them and make them anxious and depressed. 

 

Pessimists tend to let even the smallest of issues overwhelm them. This results in them becoming anxious about so many things in their life. They will often resort to antidepressants and other drugs to fix the symptoms. Drugs are not a long-term fix though. These people are likely to derive more benefit from cognitive therapy and a transition to optimism.

 

Optimists tend to have low levels of Stress

 

It is highly likely that an optimist will have much lower levels if stress than a pessimist. When you are an optimist, you expect good things to happen to you. If things do go wrong, which they will, then you probably will not be overwhelmed by this and increase the amount of stress in your body.

 

If an optimist has a problem to solve then they will not dwell on it causing their stress levels to rise. Unlike pessimists, they tend to be a lot more proactive and see positives in every bad situation. A pessimist will probably sit on a problem that they do not know how to solve which will drive up their stress levels.

 

What is Optimism And Why It's Important

If you are interested in becoming an optimist then this article is for you. Most people have heard of optimism but not everyone is clear on what it really is. Never believe that you are born an optimist or you are not. This is total nonsense. You can become an optimist at any time during your life despite your background.

 

Here you will learn the definition of optimism, the traits of an optimist and the explanatory styles of an optimist and a pessimist.

 

What is Optimism?

 

Optimism is defined as the belief that good things are likely to happen in the future and that there is good in every situation. Optimism is based on the belief that there is good in people, while pessimism is based on the belief that people are generally bad. 

 

Optimism is a state of mind. It is possible for anyone to develop an optimistic mindset at any time. When you are an optimist, you will see any setback in your life as an opportunity for you to learn and grow as a person.

 

Here are some benefits of being an optimist: 

 

·    You will be a positive thinker which can help reduce stress 

·    Optimistic people see the silver lining in every circumstance, leading them to better outcomes. 

·    They are generally more upbeat and engaging, which can improve relationships with family and friends. Optimistic people generally perceive life as more fun.

 

Optimists are confident in their abilities and plan ahead to create a bright future for themselves. They tend to be a lot happier than pessimistic people. 

 

Traits of an Optimist

 

Maybe you think that you are already an optimist? It is important that you understand the common traits of an optimist so that you can develop the same traits. Here are some of the common traits that you need to develop:

 

·      A positive feeling about the future

·      An expectation that good things will happen

·      A belief that you will succeed in life

·      The belief that any challenges are an opportunity for learning and growth

·      The past can be a useful reference and that is all

 

An optimistic does not let any issue, whether it is large or small, dent their enthusiasm for life. When an optimist sets goals, they expect to be faced with some tough challenges. These help the optimist move out of their comfort zone and grow as an individual.

 

Explanatory Styles of an Optimist and Pessimist

 

You can tell that a person is an optimist or a pessimist by two things: 

 

1.    The way they talk about events that have happened in their life

 

2.    The way they write about these events

 

An optimist is confident that all of the positive events they have experienced are down to their abilities and the actions that they took. The way that an optimist will describe a negative event is that it is just temporary and that they learned from it and moved on.

 

Conversely, a pessimist will explain a positive event in their life as fortunate because they have no belief in their ability. For negative events, this is the norm for them and proof that the world is against them.

 

Conclusion

 

Optimism is all about having a positive outlook on life. An optimist will be confident about their future because they will have set goals and worked hard to achieve what they want. Optimists are confident in their own abilities and tend to be a lot happier than pessimists.

 

Daily Rituals For Increased Optimism

The things that you do every day will define you. In time, something that you repeat each day becomes a habit. Habits can be good and bad of course. Your aim here is to develop habits that will empower you to be more optimistic.

 

It is going to take time for you to implement new and empowering habits in your life. The best way to achieve this is to do the same things each day for at least 21 days continuously. Your subconscious mind will pick up on this and realize that you are serious about forming a new habit.

 

Don’t try to implement too many new daily rituals at once. You can start with a small number and add to this as each becomes a habit that you do on autopilot. We recommend that you create a morning ritual where you do certain things every morning. Other rituals can take place whenever it suits you.

 

Your Morning Optimism Ritual

 

There are four things that we recommend for your morning optimism ritual. The first of these is to read your positive affirmations. You can read your affirmations more than once each day but it is essential that you do this at least once in the morning.

 

Optimists always set challenging goals for themselves so first thing in the morning is a very good time for you to read your goals, your emotional drivers and your WHY statement. This will light a fire under you to complete your tasks for the day and move closer to achieving your goals.

 

Spend a few minutes every morning visualizing your best self and success with your goals. Once you learn how to visualize, you will only need a few minutes of this to really inspire you. Visualization is a very powerful technique so make good use of it.

 

The final part of your morning optimism routine needs to be some gentle exercise. This will help to get your blood circulating and your heart pumping. A healthy body is a healthy mind. You can perform any exercise that you like here. It doesn’t need to be a full workout – just enough to get things moving.

 

The four things above will all help you to get the best possible start to each day.

 

Express Gratitude

 

Expressing your gratitude for what you have in your life right now is something that you must do as part of your daily optimism ritual. You can do this at the end of the day before you retire. It doesn’t really matter when you do it to be honest. Write down 3 things you are grateful for and focus on these.

 

Neutralize Negative Thoughts

 

Even the most optimistic of people can experience negative thoughts from time to time. Get into the habit of always neutralizing a negative thought with a positive one. As you progress with this, you will find that you experience fewer negative thoughts on a daily basis.

 

Identify and Complete your Daily Tasks

 

If you want to be an optimist then you need to set yourself challenging goals. When you set your goals, create plans for their achievement. You want to break your plans down into daily tasks. Plan your tasks ahead the night before and endeavor to complete all of your tasks every day.

 

Lack of Emotional Clarity Might be Holding You Back for More Fulfilling Relationships

You’ve probably have heard this old saying: if you don’t love yourself, why should you expect others to do what you can’t do for yourself. There’s a lot of truth to that. Let’s put it this way, if you are conflicted or confused about your emotions, there's a high chance you are not sending the right signals to people around you. They want to help, and they care and love you, but they can’t quite seem to reach you. I know it hurts but the truth is, it’s all your fault. 

 

You have to understand that life is not a movie. When you’re watching movies there is a script, there is a footage, and there are actors. But at the end of the day, you’re watching something that is complete. There’s nothing you can do to influence whatever goes on in the movie. All you can do is sit down, watch the movie and let the directors, screenwriters, and actors perform for you. That’s how it works. 

 

I don’t know the exact nature of your relationships but that should not be a one way street. There is give and take. It’s very easy for people to feel frustrated in their relationship because they can’t get what they wanted from it in the first place. They don’t bother to stop and think about their role in the relationship. What are you putting in? How do you influence the flow of the emotional signals that you have with the other person? Is it fair to that other person when you put all the weight on their shoulders? Of course not. You don’t want that done to you, right? This is where lack of emotional clarity comes in.

 

Most people always focus on how they’re being cheated, how they’re being hurt, and how they’re not getting what they feel they have coming to them. Rarely do they look at the other side. People are very shallow about it. This is a serious problem because if you want more fulfilling relationships, you need to develop the emotional intelligence skill of emotional clarity. 

 

A lot of people define this ability in strictly self-serving facts. In their words they say, “I just need to know how I’m feeling and what kind of emotions are going through my mind and heart at any given point of time.” That’s just part of the picture. If you stop there, then it’s no surprise that your relationships are not living up to their fullest potential. What’s the problem here? It’s not just about you that’s a big part of your relationship, but there’s the other side of the equation. You have to also pay attention to the consequences of your emotional signals and most importantly the clarity with which you communicate.

 

People with low emotional intelligence suffer from a disconnect between what they feel and how the other people perceive them. They always think that it’s the other person responsibility to perceive them clearly. Maybe you’re just not communicating emotionally clearly enough. Solve this problem now.

 

Overcoming Negative Thoughts

Everyone falls prey to negative thoughts sometimes. It’s like watching a movie that begins with clear skies and happiness and seeing it turn into dark clouds and horror. The bad thing is that there’s no eerie music to alert us when that turn takes place in our minds from positive to negative. We can only tune into our thoughts once in a while to see how we’re doing.

 

When you catch yourself thinking negatively there are a few things you can do – actually practice – that can help you overcome the negativity and get yourself into that “happy ending.”

 

1.  Adjust the tone of your voice, both inner and outer. When you find that your speaking or thinking tone is harsh and negative, change it to a lighter and more positive tone.

2.  Meditation. Finding some time for yourself to meditate or just relax and restore your energy levels can do wonders for your outlook. When you combine some yoga stretches or deep breathing, you can make bigger leaps.

3.  Smile. The best way to diffuse a negative situation is to smile – really smile, with your eyes and your entire face and demeanor. It can lift a mood almost instantaneously and help to relieve stress too (and it takes less facial muscles to smile than to frown).

4.  Help someone else. Becoming a benefactor to someone can fill your heart and mind with happiness. And, how can you think and project negative thoughts when you’re so happy?

5.  Keep a gratitude journal. Those who have had to overcome great obstacles in their lives say they kept and still do keep a gratitude journal and wrote a few things in it every day that they were grateful for. It helped to get them through bad times.

6.  Choose positive people to be around. You may have to work with negative people, and you may have some in your own family, but your friends that you choose can be positive ones who help you put things into perspective when you’re thinking negatively.

 

Do whatever works for you to lift your spirits and get you out of negative self-talk. Some people exercise. That gets the endorphins flowing and keeps you from becoming depressed.

 

Dancing and singing are also proven mood lifters. You don’t have to be good enough for “American Idol” or “Dancing with the Stars.” Just dance or sing unfiltered and see how the stress can melt away.

 

You are in charge of the choices you make in life and you can either choose to be a negative or a positive person to go through life.