Tag: optimism

An Overview of Optimism

Being optimistic about one’s endeavors is a highly underappreciated quality. In a perpetual marathon, dubbed as “life” your positive outlook can turn the tables for any obstacle, living or not. Today, your grades can only take you so far on the success scale, whereas it’s the demeanor of a candidate which gets them shortlisted for prosperity. The opportunity to practice this buoyancy props up several times in a person’s life, but utilizing it to the full potential is where most people fail. Can optimism trigger audacity for introverts? Can it figure out tranquility for the ever-agitated? Can it find hope for the gloomy? The answer, well you can only find out once you try.

A ray of hope can be found anywhere

So how does optimism work?

Becoming an optimist isn’t something that can be mastered overnight. It is a process, that accompanies you in your life. It grows with you and basically embodies you. Many research has been carried out about the effectiveness of optimism as a psychological phenomenon. Optimism seems to have an indispensable role when it comes to mediating between depressing thoughts and suicidal idealization. Often, the key to becoming an optimist is to draw lines with the pessimists. Don’t rue it, don’t pity them, because you were once one of them. Now you are on the journey to self-development, and one day so will they. All it takes is changing your perspective.

How a single person can transform the room

Benefits of being optimistic

A principal benefit of being optimistic is finding the smallest silver lining in a grey cloud hanging over your head. Having a positive mindset has been scientifically proven to motivate you towards achieving your goals. Optimists view failures as new beginnings and work upon themselves accordingly. When things go bad, our world gets shaken up, which requires us to grow, see new things, and start afresh. Take the pandemic for example. The arduous times we confronted couldn’t have been conquered without the moral support of you, yourself.

A principal benefit of being optimistic is finding the smallest silver lining in a grey cloud hanging over your head. Having a positive mindset has been scientifically proven to motivate you towards achieving your goals. Optimists view failures as new beginnings and work upon themselves accordingly. When things go bad, our world gets shaken up, which requires us to grow, see new things, and start afresh. Take the pandemic for example. The arduous times we confronted couldn’t have been conquered without the moral support of you, yourself.

But, optimism doesn’t just have neurological benefits. In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois, a survey of 5100 subjects showed that 76 percent of them are more likely to have health scores in an ideal range. Not only this, optimists showed significantly sounder blood sugar and cholesterol levels, worked out more, had a healthier body mass index, and were less likely to smoke.

One of the many advantages of having optimistic peers is that this quality is contagious, and spreads like wildfire in the grimmest of situations one may find themselves in. The institution Gallup conducted a survey and found that more than 65 percent of all 9 to 5 American managers don’t put their heart and soul into their jobs. This costs the decorum of the entire company, making the employees lethargic which further costs the US economy more than 77 billion USD every year. All of this can be avoided because it takes only one person the fuel the atmosphere.

Optimism-the need of the hour

Today, the world is not in a position to accommodate pessimists. With the onslaught of a new wave of coronavirus, the Ukraine-Russia tensions, and whatnot, optimism is the need of the hour. People are inspired by what they see, and every little show of enthusiasm can make society a better place. We more often learn from our experiences, than our mistakes. Let’s focus on making every single experience a joyful one, by being optimistic

Want to be a optimist?! That’s Easy!!

Are you a person lacking confidence and hope in everything? Trying hard to be an optimistic person? It’s very easy. Let’s see how to be optimistic in everything through this article.

WHO IS A PESSIMIST?

A pessimist is a person who thinks the worst side of anything or they have a thought that they can’t do it. These pessimistic thoughts came from fear to do something. They often focus on the negative side or an unfavorable situation rather than thinking about what is going right. A pessimistic person is more likely to notice problems or it may cause anxiety to them. These types of people may have depression because of this. If we want to know clearly, it is a personality trait. These pessimistic persons wouldn’t believe anyone because they don’t know whether those persons have good intentions. To put it simply, they don’t believe anyone firmly.

According to research, pessimism is associated with the right hemisphere of the brain and the lower self-esteem was also associated with the right side of the brain. Though pessimism is a perspective that affects the general worldview, it is not an unchangeable trait that can’t be changed throughout the lifetime. A pessimistic person can also be optimistic like others.

” A pessimist is an optimist in full possession of the facts “.

– Arthur Schopenhauer

COME ON; LET US BE OPTIMISTIC!

Till now, we saw about pessimism; Being optimistic is a wonderful thought that make us feel self-confident and self- aware. As we saw, pessimism is connected to the right side of the brain and optimism is connected to the left side of the brain. But we should know that both the right and left brains are necessary to maintain a healthy state. Yes, both optimism and pessimism are related to each other and necessary to maintain a healthy life. But sometimes, the pessimistic thoughts may come upon the optimistic thoughts. The only thing is we should control our pessimistic thoughts.

Why You Should Choose A Positive Response For Every Situation - WhateverItTakesMotivation

Just follow few tips and automatically be an optimistic person. Yeah, that’s for sure.

  • First, learn to be grateful. Being grateful makes you both optimistic and have a great personality. Even if it is a small thing, be grateful to the one who helped you. For example, if one helped you during your difficult times, don’t forget their help when you reached some peaks in your career or life. So, grateful and optimistic feel makes you feel better than anything.
  • Always believe that you can do it even when no one can! In this case, being optimistic helps you to achieve it. Just believe and move towards your goal. Let me say myself as an example, I love photography and I participate in many inter-collegiate competitions. Till now, I didn’t win any prizes, but I continue to pursue my dream. And I hope one day I will be able to win the prize. Just trim yourself to be a better and confident individual.
  • Don’t think that it is impossible. When the word impossible reaches your mind or heart you can’t do anything, don’t allow it. Anything is possible if you are very optimistic and confident. Think about it, if anyone can do your work, why are you here? Just ask this yourself and find yourself in yourself.
  • If there is some problem, just look into a solution rather than blowing it into a big volcano. Be calm and shuttle, think optimistically, and seek solutions. It will be good for you and your loved ones.
  •  Then, focus on the things which are under your control. Don’t look into things that are out of your control. Because those things can disturb you and make you a pessimist sometimes.
  • Lastly, love fearlessly and no one can stop you in this. Yes, pursue your love optimistically. Your love can either be your career or dream or anything just pursue it optimistically. And learn to see beauty in small things. For example, none of us would say,’ I don’t like a child ‘ because we forget ourselves when we are with them. This is an optimistic feel. If there is a smile on that child’s face without any doubt we will be happy, Right? That’s it. This tells you how optimistic you are!!

Both optimism and pessimism are needed in our life but they should be kept at an equal level to maintain a healthy and a happy life.

The pessimist complains about the wind..." William A. Ward [800x598]: QuotesPorn

Some reference links;

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/pessimism

https://www.123helpme.com/essay/The-Importance-Of-Optimism-774469

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING

“With the dawning of a new age, after pandemics have done their work, we may find ourselves at the watershed of singular considerations about how to handle the changes that revolutionize our lives, and trace the silver lining in a new reality. (What do they think behind their dirty aprons?)”
― Erik Pevernagie

TASTE THE POWER OF THE ‘PROVERB’

Clouds are the symbol of grave period of life and the silver lining as mentioned refers to the bright, contented, or enjoyable times. It is very obvious that the entire proverb is about optimism. If an individual is positive even in the murkiest of periods, then indeed things will ultimately be in his/her favour. However, if the individual has a pessimistic approach towards life, then no opportunity in his/her life can ever make him/her gratified and he/she will end up in difficulties. Ups and Downs are part and parcel of life. In fact, if these did not exist, life would have been boring and meaningless. All these understandings enhance us in some way or the other and help us to become strongminded individuals. In fact, all the hardships and difficulties we face in life have the effect of making us richer in experience and educate us to embark upon adverse situations. Therefore, it can be appropriately said that ‘Every Cloud has a Silver Lining’.

HOW DARKNESS PENETRATES OUR LIVES

To elucidate the above, let us analyse the problems of a person called Kamal. He was an average person, coming from a middle-class family. His parents, who were well-educated themselves, wanted him to have the best education and so he was admitted to the best school in the city. As a student, he outshined neither in academics nor in sports and was always placed in the middle of his class in both. Even in extra co-curricular activities Kamal did not leave behind any distinctive mark. Being an obedient child, he was always guided by parental advice, which prevented the development of his personality and as a result, he lacked self-confidence.

AN IRON DETERMINATION PAVES THE WAY

However, Kamal’s life went disordered with the sudden demise of his father in an accident. The family was staring at imminent poverty because his father was the sole bread-winner and the pension that they were to get was not enough to fund the education of both Kamal and his younger sister. All of a sudden, the entire burden of the family descended on Kamal’s young shoulders, but that was a blessing in disguise because the misfortune made him resolute. He developed into a very strong-willed individual who was ready to take on the world legitimately. Kamal took stock of the situation and started providing private tuitions to supplement the family income. In doing so, he realized that his actual calling in life was to be an academician. Gradually, he cleared all the examinations with flying colours and at a very young age joined an elite institution as a there has been no looking back since then. Had the disaster never occurred, Kamal might have followed and done what his parents believed fit for him instead of realizing his own potential and aptitude in life and society would have been left without a very good teacher.

SO…BE OPTIMISTIC

Like Kamal, there are millions of such individuals who suffer major hindrances in their lives but still manage to pull through. So, one should never feel hopeless because of problems, as no individual in this world leads an uncomplicated existence. Whenever clouds of worries appear, they always carry an indication of something better that might happen.So, we must be inspired from such events and should always move frontward in life even if it is hard for us to do so. Strong willpower and undying hope pave the way for success to be achieved. Every single problem in life is like a riddle which hides some solution and a mindful search for that solution open many closed doors of achievements.

GRATITUDE- A LIFE CHANGING HABIT

Gratitude is  the characteristic of being joyful and is the willingness to express gratitude for and reciprocate kindness. According to Harvard medical school “People express thanks for the wonderful things in their lives As a consequence of which gratitude allows people to connect to something bigger than themselves whether it’s other people, nature, or a greater force.” 

It serves as a reminder that you have enough and that you are sufficient. 

Gratitude is a life changing habit because it has plethora of scientifically validated advantages. People who consistently practice gratitude in their daily lives by setting aside time to notice and reflect on the things for which they are grateful about get endless advantages as follows:-

  • Enhances mental well-being

Gratitude has a significant positive effect on psychological well-being. It boosts our self-esteem, stimulates positive thoughts, and elevates our optimism. In an older research from 2003 it has been found out that gratitude was connected to enhanced mood. Recently, According to a study published in 2020, expressing thankfulness on a regular basis might help alleviate anxiety and depressive symptoms.

  • Immune system booster

Gratitude has been demonstrated to aid in the development of a positive attitude. Over the years various researches have been conducted which shows improved immune system and lower stress levels as a result of practicing gratitude. According to a 2004 assessment of data, stress reduces the immune response to possible physiological threats, but mental well-being can assist your body fight sickness which can be done by being thankful. 

  • It multiplies happiness and makes you a happier person 

Many researchers have found out that Gratefulness and happiness are inextricably linked. Practicing to be grateful might be a simple and effective strategy to increase your happiness. Gratitude, whether expressed or received, makes both people happier and allows them to see things in a more positive light which helps in lowering our focus on negative emotions and accepting everything about our situation if its bad and good.

  • It also helps in building better relations 

Gratitude is essential in the formation of new connections as well as the strengthening of old ones. According to a 2010 study, spouses who expressed appreciation to one another reported higher relationship satisfaction and pleasure the next day. Thus, it can be said that Gratitude might make couples feel more happy with one other in love relationships and help them in building a strong relationship with each other.

    • Boosts optimism

    It also makes a person optimistic who thinks that good things will happen. It can be concluded by seeing the result of 2018 study which states that gratitude practice might help you create an optimistic perspective if you’re not typically optimistic. A study was also conducted in 2003 on participants in which Participants felt more hopeful and positive about their current lives and the future after just 10 weeks of frequent gratitude practice.

    So, I want to conclude that Gratitude is essential for bringing about change in one’s life. It relieves tension, makes you humble, and improves the quality of your relationships. It takes away your bad energy and replaces it with positivity. I believe that everyone should master the art of thankfulness in order to witness a positive shift in their lives. It can be done by making a gratitude journal of your own, meditation and Paying attention to the small pleasures in life which will offer you a lot of delight andshall almost certainly have a beneficial long-term impact on your mental health and well-being, if practiced daily. 

    me and my world both got tilted

    Hellooooo guys !!!

    oh! you may get doubtful about how I am writing this article if both me and and my world are both tilted right now.

    Just kidding guys😄

    I have to tell you guys a secret shhhh🤫 come closer to the screen guys . Actually the thing is….

    I am a” warrior” you don’t believe do you? want to know how?

    Actually I am an undergraduate student during this pandemic ,haha 😆sorry my jokes are also tilted.

    I thought a lot about what should I be writing so you may get to know how my perspective changed after the pandemic that is as my title says.

    After this pandemic everyone’s life became a big mess .Many people lost their lives,livelihood ,their loved ones,there is alot of negative things happening around which is quite depressing
    This situation tilted every one’s lives .

    Coming to the point “lockdown” is the term we are now most familiar with

    so in this lockdown what did you do?

    I just lazed on my couch, attended online classes, not to mention watching my favourite kdramas ,listening to kpop ,reading my favourite webtoon, manhwas and surfing through the net.

    We all are experiencing the situation that the male lead in “old boy” movie faced , for those of you who are not familiar with the movie I recommend it its a very good thriller. The so called tilt in our world caused by pandemic is the reason why we can relate to the character in the movie.

    Similarly seasons passed while I was lazing on my couch too , I mean the seasons in web series.
    Here we go again with my silly jokes.
    I know most of them can relate to our binge watching the series days, the so called boring days, the days we had to find something to keep ourselves busy.


    But thinking about this in my tilted world , I enjoyed my time by spending with my family ,had online meetings with my friends, joined online classes (obviously for attendance) .

    People are learning new courses ,they are trying to find new hobbies such as learning musical instruments, dance ,arts and so on…, they started learning cooking ,they are trying various things ,they are doing trends, making video challenges ,starting their vlogs and writing blogs.

    People are finding new talents that even they weren’t aware of them before.

    Myself, themselves ,and ourselves ,each and everyone one us are finding something new about the so called “self”.

    “There’s always an opportunity with crisis. Just as it forces an individual to look inside himself, it forces a company to reexamine its policies and practices.”

    Judy Smith

    So my point is in this pandemic people’s perspective of viewing the world changed.

    Why don’t we also try to change our perspectives and view this pandemic as chance given to us , to find the magic that has been lost in our daily stressful lives, why don’t we slow down our pace and take a look at the world we are living in we are breathing in.
    Why don’t we try to change ourselves and try to adapt into this new tilted world
    Finding the “new tilted selves”.

    Hope and despair are the two different sides of the same coin so when we toss the coin the chance is half and half but why don’t we grasp this opportunity and stick to the hopeful side of the coin.

    I know its easier to fall rather than to climb, its harder to view a negative thing in a positive light.

    My point is as the world is already tilted why don’t you try to tilt yourselves and your perspectives ,that is utilising this time to know what do you enjoy? ,what is your strength’s and weaknesses? ,what do you like what you don’t like ? ,what is the so called yourself that you always speak about?.

    What is the “new tilted self” that you found ?

    Ask these questions to your selves and try to answer those questions even if you didn’t find the answers no rush go in your own pace and you will find them automatically.

    I know you are going to be okay.so cheer up ,you can do it!!
    And thanks for visiting my tilted world and sparing your time .😊

    OPTIMISM- THE NEED OF THE HOUR

    “When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond.“

    We all face challenges, tough times at some point of life but this time we all are undergoing with a common difficulty-“THE PANDEMIC”. It’s very true that we cannot change the direction of wind but definitely we can adjust our sails to reach our destination. Though this pandemic has triggered tremendous anxiety and sadness all over the map, we must not forget that troubles are our hidden teachers who come into our life to make us meaningful.

    If we see our troubles and miseries with an eye of optimism we can realize that these are great opportunities to strengthen us from within, chances for our better version of life as optimistic attitude can never fail even after a massive failure. It always encourages the very person to think unquestionably that it is the path to achieve something more higher than never before

    Shadows( tough times) are the evidences that we are standing in light. The determined effort to cultivate optimism will surely improve the quality of life, ensure happiness and success because with the optimistic attitude we can generate innovative ideas and create various possibilities to move forward faster. That’s why I strongly believe that optimistic way looking at the situation is as equally important as the most demanding oxygen cylinders.

    The more we feed positive thoughts in our mind and around we can magnetize peace and happiness back so let’s train our mind in such a manner that we can see opportunity no matter how the hard the situation might seem for now. Winston churchill, the Prime Minister of Britain shouted with the sense of positivity at the time of 2nd world war with the saying “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity whereas an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”

    Continue reading “OPTIMISM- THE NEED OF THE HOUR” →

    Optimism – The need of the hour

    https://depositphotos.com/

       Optimism is defined as “a mental attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable” by Wikipedia. I bet not many of us lead a smooth comfortable life, this is when one is put into test. Maintaining mental stability, putting a pause to all overthinking & most of all, thinking for the brighter side of things, is what optimism basically means. So a ray of hope Or even imagining the better times or opportunities is also an optimum drive to cheer one up in the faces of troubles. 

        A true optimist is believed to never give way easily to despair or psychological pain. On the contrary, a pessimist is defined as someone who looks at the negative & gloomy side of life or things. Thus a pessimist may lose interest from humane values and rather indulge in immoral & cruel acts. This may eventually lead to overpowering one’s mind to inculcate all negative qualities than the positives. 

       Also, lack of optimism or upon completely losing faith from it may compel one to be cynical & disinterested in life. And a severe form of pessimism may cause one to overload the brain with mental depression. This is often a key reason why people commit suicide. To most of us, the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case clings at the back of our mind. True, the country did lose an exceptionally talented, young & bright actor. Watta pity! 

       Most of us are quite aware of this widely known idiom, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Mostly it’s used to encourage optimism in the face of adversity or misfortune. The literal meaning relates to when life hands you lemons that are sour in taste, signifying difficulties in life; rather make lemonade out of it that depicts positivity in life. 

    https://depositphotos.com/

      One may also deduce it as, when life hands you lemons, rather than cribbing about the situation or fate, look out for ways & means to turn it to your advantage. As it is rightly said, “When one door shuts, another opens.” It isn’t always necessary that solutions shall be readily available served right on your plate. So one just needs to scavenge for ways at times & do the needful. 

        Not all optimists are of the same type. So let’s explore the different kinds of optimists here :

     ‌Dispositional optimism: Also known as the “big optimism”, is an expectation that more good shall happen than bad in the future. 

     ‌Strategic optimism: This involves one denying risks because he believes to have control over the situation. 

     ‌Unrealistic optimism: Can also be termed as “impractical optimism”, is when the positive expectations don’t match with the actual evidence. 

     ‌Comparative optimism: It’s expecting good things for oneself compared to others. 

     ‌Realistic optimism: Also known as “practical optimism”, is when one keeps a positive outlook even in the constraints of the world.

     ‌Situational optimism: This refers to the expectation of a positive outcome in a specific situation. 

        The most common theory used to illustrate the concept of pessimism vs optimism is a glass half filled with water. An optimist will observe the glass as half full, while a pessimist shall see it as half empty. It is simply the difference of perspective of a person that a situation is viewed differently. 

    Being Optimistic

    “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ” – American author and educator, Helen Keller

    Optimism is positive thinking or a construct which emphasizes on the importance of recognizing that emotional, intellectual and motivational processes are intertwined and a belief that things will turn out well. It is the expectation that good things will come your way and that you have the ability to control the direction of your life. It describes how optimists are always looking for the best in every situation and hoping and expecting and seeing that things will turn out well in the future. Successful people are optimistic, tend to see problems as things to be solved and an opportunity to sharpen their skills. Optimistic thinking motivates people especially adults and children to continue to persist and to work to find solutions. Even when a situation looks grim or a bad situation occurs , they would look at that situation as an experience which helps them to not repeat the same mistake over again.

    Optimistic thinking makes us healthier and happier. It is a perspective , when effectively adopted, will enable long -term positive changes in the professional and personal life of an individual. The opposite of optimism is pessimism which is a belief in the worst aspect of things and negative outcomes in life. Although optimism and pessimism often refer to how people think about the future, they also refer to how people think about the past, specifically, the causes of the good and bad events in their lives. When something bad happens , for eg. getting a bad grade on a test or having a fight with someone you love, or losing your job – optimists believe that what caused the problem can be changed and they believe that problems in one area of their life won’t necessarily lead to problems in all areas of their life. However, pessimists believe that they are the sole cause of their problems, that those problems are going to last forever, and that they are going to appears in every aspect of their lives. Being an optimist is not hard to do at all. The steps to approach life with more optimism include learning from our failures, work on our shortcomings, move on to something greater , surround yourself with positive people to spread good vibes and stay motivated , when faced with a difficulty, remain hopeful and positive , inspire yourself with smile and positive reminders or quotes that will help cheer you up , focus on the positive instead of the negative as it improves mental well-being which can motivate individuals to take better care of themselves , focus on the present and reject the past since we have to learn to face and to live with the present moment.

    Optimists can easily overcome obstacles and keep moving towards a bright future. Hence by spreading awareness among more people on how to think optimistically and how to approach problems and adversities with a clear set of coping skills, we can enable them to approach their lives with more flexibility and increase their overall sense of well-being.