The world is not always a kind place. On any given day, turning on the news means hearing about more bad things that have happened in communities. News stations are constantly bombarding their viewers with information about the latest thefts, scams, homicides, and terrorist attacks. It is overwhelming for the average viewer, because it is too easy to fall into the trap of being consumed by the negativity. Negativity is contagious; if one person is enveloped by it, it is far too easy for others to succumb to it as well.
Negativity is engrained into our thought patterns from a young age. We see people complaining about things all the time. It is on the television, the radio, social media, and in our households. Think back to when you were younger, what would your parents often do when they came home from work? Complain about work! It is so much easier to grumble about what annoys us and make it seem worse than it actually is. For example, when we have a lot of homework or a bunch of errands to run, we choose to complain about all of these things we have to do.
However, we have the power to turn our attitudes around. It can be as simple as switching out a word in a sentence. Think about all of the things that you have to do right now. What if you switched out the word have for the word get? Doesn’t it sound a whole lot better if you get to do your homework, rather than you have to do our homework? I mean either way you state it, it is still unpleasant, but reminding yourself that you get the privilege to do it puts life in perspective. We do not technically have to do anything; we get to do it all.
There are many other simple ways to put more enthusiasm into your life. The first one is to laugh more! Everyone knows that the more that you laugh, the better you feel. Studies done by the Mayo Clinic have stated that laughing regularly reduces stress, improves the immune system, and relieves pain. Another way is to smile more. Smile at everybody; your best friends, mere acquaintances, even random strangers! Not only will smiling increase your mood, you also may have made someone else’s day too. You never know what is going on in someone else’s life; a simple smile might save them.
The most important way to be more optimistic is to love deeply. Be passionate about what you believe in and do not let anyone put out the fire in your soul. Let your fire burn brightly, so that everyone you meet can see the passion you have for life. Like I have learned from Bert and John Jacobs, the creators of the Life Is Good Company, “Do what you love, love what you do.” This statement only has four words in it, but its simplicity is what makes it so powerful. It seems like common sense, you should do things you enjoy and be happy and excited about doing those things. We will not always like what we are doing. Again I use the example of doing homework, it is no fun. However, it will help us reach our goal of doing what we love and pursuing our dreams.
Being an optimist is making a choice to view your life a certain way. It is not just being happy all the time, because no one can be happy all the time; that would just be weird if we did not feel a wide spectrum of emotions. Living an optimistic life means that we realize that life is not always going to be perfect and that it is okay.
