“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.