There are a few times when life decides to align conditions for you to enjoy a nearly “perfect moment,” and due to the scarcity of these they should be appreciated with special joy. Recently, one of these opportunities was presented to me; I walked into a Taco Bell, to the sound of a particularly great Mac Demarco tune, on a surprisingly rainy day, in hopes of enjoying a decently priced vegan meal. These three elements (sorry, Taco Bell) had “memorable” written all over them. That was until I walked by one of the tables and couldn’t help but overhear the following words being uttered: “Being optimistic isn’t going to work, it’s just like being foolish.” My brain tuned out of this conversation and proceeded to contend dissenting claims against the sentence I had just heard, thus leaving me with one less “perfect moment” to tell my grandchildren about.

However, this stranger and his taken-out-of-context claim did provide me with different arguments to disprove it, hence the title of this article.

Thinking positively has a surprisingly benign effect on your health.

Positive thinking often enhances mental toughness by requiring the individual to think about potential beneficial solutions to an overwhelming problem. This in turn prevents said individual from contemplating the negative aspects of the problem, which only amplifies the magnitude and importance of the dilemma.

According to research from Minnesota-based health care company Mayo Clinic, positive thinking includes other health benefits:

• “Increased life span”
• “Lower rates of depression”
• “Lower levels of distress”
• “Greater resistance to the common cold”
• “Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease”

Ultimately, a more responsive problem-solving system leads to the reduction of stress and all of the physical and mental strains it carries.

A positive attitude can have a more favorable impact on relationships.

Having a more optimistic approach to any social situation can make you appreciate the best aspects of it, thus making them more enjoyable and leaving you with broader room for learning from them. This notion also applies to new people you meet: A positive general outlook on things can make you value and focus on the positive and unique traits these people posses, in turn strengthening relationships based on these characteristics, as opposed to emphasizing the negative qualities. Additionally, positive reinforcement is a good indicator for others regarding the attributes you appreciate and deem important about their personality.

In conclusion, the effects of a positive thought process seem to have a benign impact on a person's life, from a physical, mental, and emotional standpoint, to having a galvanizing effect on personal relationships.