In his classic book, “As a Man Thinketh,” author James Allen makes the statement, “A person is limited only by the thoughts he chooses.”
Have you given much thought to your thoughts?
Do you recognize that your thoughts shape your attitude and actions, and that your attitude and actions directly affect the quality of your life and your ability to succeed? Successful people realize that their thoughts have much to do with the circumstances and condition of their lives. By better controlling their thoughts, they better control their lives.
People who are optimistic control their perspective for the best possible outcomes. Optimism is not about seeing life through rose-colored glasses or denying the reality of the situations we face. Optimism is the realization that we control how we think about our ever-changing world. In other words, what happens to us, and around us. We determine our focus in our interactions with others. Do we see the best in others and ourselves, or do we focus on the negatives? It’s our choice.
Winston Churchill is reported to have said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”.
Which do you want to be?
Here are some standard definitions for optimism.
- A tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions while expecting the most favorable outcome.
- The belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world.
- The tendency to believe, expect or hope that things will turn out well.
- Confidence about the future or the successful outcome of life.
People who tend to see the worst in situations will often claim they are only being realistic. Is it realistic to face the various circumstances of our lives from a negative perspective? Will that attitude present the best opportunity to successfully deal with life’s challenges?
Much has been written about the importance of our thinking. Two such books are Norman Vincent Peale’s, The Power of Positive Thinking, and Napoleon Hill’s, Think and Grow Rich.”
These books and numerous scientific studies make it apparent that how a person thinks can have a significant impact on how well their life goes, even impacting their physical and mental health. In addition, optimistic people are usually much more desirable to be around than negative, pessimistic people. Optimism not only makes one more effective at handling life, it makes them more likely to have good relationships with others.
Optimistic people are happier and better able to stay focused on their life goals, rather than being distracted by circumstances. They are mentally prepared to face life. People make their best choices when they feel a sense of control over their lives. Taking control over how you think gives you control over how you feel, which gives you power to act in your best interest.
We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it. We choose our response.
George Bernard Shaw put it this way: “The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.”
Optimistic people face difficulties, disappointments, failure, sadness, frustration, and loss just like everyone. However, they don’t let their thoughts and feelings control them. They know they can choose how they think and react to any situation. They choose to react in a manner that most benefits them under the circumstances. Does becoming depressed, frustrated or bitter ever make things better? Of course not. Optimism is always a better choice.
Optimism often goes hand-in-hand with gratitude. Gratitude, being thankful for all that is good in our lives, keeps our perspective healthy. If we focus on what is good in our lives, it becomes easier to believe that things will be good in the future.
Some may say, “I’ve always been a negative thinker. I see the glass half-empty. That’s just the way I am.” This way of thinking is a habit that has been developed. If you are in the habit of thinking negatively and expecting the worse, you will need to make a conscious choice and apply continuous effort to change that pattern.
Develop a habit of optimism. If you are willing to do that, you will discover that being optimistic will change your life for the better. It requires maturity, self-confidence and mental toughness to be optimistic. The decision not to be buffeted by life’s problems requires strength of character. But developing the habit of being optimistic improves our outlook, our wellbeing and our ability to make our life what we desire it to be. Get in the habit of thinking about how you’re thinking. Make optimism a habit. You will be amazed at the difference it will make in your life and in your relationships.
Kent Shafer 