For a long time, I was a very cynical thinker. My outlook on life was to always expect the worst. I would then receive the worst and dwell on it. It was such an unhealthy cycle of thinking and I felt trapped within it, "If I have this pattern of receiving disappointment why would I expect anything different?" That question circled in my brain with no concrete answer for a very long time.

And then I found the answer to my question in its simplest form. If you expect good things to come to you, and you find joy in smaller things, the disappointment will not affect you as much as it previously did. In no means is this saying that there is no place for sorrow in life; there most definitely is. However, by focusing on the positive rather than the negative, by looking forward to good things in the future rather than dwelling on bad experiences of the past, I have found a completely different outlook on life.

My grades dictated my happiness for a long time. When I had worse grades than I wanted, it felt like my whole world was a wash of grey. I know that seems dramatic, but they truly left that strong of an impact on my day. I would see a bad test score and automatically it seemed like nothing could go right for me anymore. With learning to be an optimist, you have to understand that individual negative experiences should have no ruling over your overall attitude.

Sure that score can upset you, but not it is in the past. Rather than focusing on everything wrong with the rest of the day, think about the awesome dinner you'll have later, or focus on how much better you'll do on your next test. We cannot change what is in the past, so why let it ruin your mood.

Optimism often is seen as having the mindset that nothing bad ever happens. That is not what it means at all. It is a shift in mindset that is the difference between wallowing over what you can't change, and looking forward to the future and how you can improve from your current situation. The shift towards intentionally being an optimist has turned my life upside down. I find myself complaining less and overall I'm in better moods. Being an optimist is not something you're always born with, but if you choose to make a conscious shift it can be an idea that will forever stick with you.