The Power of Optimism

Growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950s, I didn't have a care in the world. I don't know what enabled me to develop my optimistic attitude. Perhaps I learned it from my parents. I was absolutely sure that only good things would happen to me. As a result, I deeply enjoyed my youth. Unlike many of my friends who were worried about the future, I moved through my teens guided by the belief that it would all work out.

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    By the time I reached 60, I was content. I noticed that few of my friends shared my outlook. They mocked my “chronic optimism,” saying that I viewed the world through rose-colored glasses. Some seemed to revel in their pessimism and grumbled that I was out of touch with reality. They expected the worse to happen and when it did, they felt justified. I didn’t want to live that way.

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    Unlike many people I knew who felt that their best years were behind them, I refused to be pessimistic about the future. Instead of fearing it, I embraced it.

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    I asked myself: What do I want? For today? For next year? For the rest of my life? Over time, I created daily practices to help me achieve these goals. The more I kept doing these exercises, the more optimistic I became. I’d created a positive feedback loop that nurtured my optimism.

 

How Optimism Helps Us

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   Gratitude and optimism are closely connected. Gratitude stems from an awareness of positive things that happened in the past, and those that are occurring right now. Optimism is characterized by confidence in a positive future.

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      At 82 I'm grateful for my energy and enthusiasm. I am grateful for the choices I made in my life that led me to feel this way. And because I feel grateful in the “now,” I trust that things will continue to go my way. If obstacles arise, as they certainly will, my optimistic attitude helps me believe that I can overcome them.

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    Optimists expect good things to happen. We have lower stress levels as well as better physical and mental health. We are also less susceptible than pessimists to the negative effects of illness, fatigue, and depression.

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    Optimists approach setbacks as learning experiences. They tend to believe that no matter what happens today, tomorrow will be better.  You can decide to be optimistic. If you want a happy and fulfilled life, choosing optimism can make that happen for you.

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    Optimism reflects the belief that the outcomes of events or experiences will generally be positive. How we rationalize the causes of events characterizes us as optimists or pessimists. Research shows that, on average, human beings are hardwired to be more optimistic than not.  Optimism is a way of taking control of your life by looking at the world in a positive manner. Optimists are likely to view negative experiences as temporary rather than permanent, specific rather than global, and external rather than internal. Such a perspective enables optimists to embrace the possibility of change. This attitude contributes to a better, more enjoyable life.

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    Suzanne Segerstrom, a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, tells us that, "People who are optimistic are more committed to their goals, are more successful in achieving their goals, are more satisfied with their lives, and have better mental and physical health when compared to more pessimistic people. If you think that the future can be positive, you're more willing to put in time and energy to make that come about."

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  Being optimistic has a payoff that goes beyond simply feeling better about your circumstances. There is a strong correlation between physical health and optimism. Scientists have found that optimistic people 64-84 years old live longer than their pessimistic counterparts.

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    An optimistic attitude has been shown to slow the progress of carotid atherosclerosis in women three years after menopause. Optimistic cancer patients (except those with lung cancer) tend to have higher longevity than pessimistic patients.

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    Studies have shown that being optimistic can help when tackling challenges or situations that involve high levels of stress. In one study, 1,000 undergraduates were asked to predict their grades two weeks before a psychology exam. The researchers also asked them how they felt about the upcoming exam. The students who were most optimistic about their potential success studied longer than their peers and achieved better grades. The less optimistic students, with lower expectations the day before the exam, studied less than the optimistic students and earned lower grades.

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    A positive mindset is also associated with better health and a lower chance of disease. A review of 15 studies with over 200,000 participants found a 35% lower chance of getting heart disease and a 14% lower chance of early death among those who were optimists, as compared to the population as a whole.

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  Optimistic people also have better results following surgery, with fewer complications requiring hospital readmission. This may occur because optimists have better coping skills than pessimists when dealing with stress and personal setbacks.

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    Another study of graduating medical students seeking residencies revealed that those who were optimistic about getting their top choice experienced less stress and more equanimity than their pessimistic peers during the selection process.

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    Those optimistic medical students who did not achieve their residency of choice were less disappointed and much more resilient than their pessimistic counterparts. The study also showed that optimism increased happiness and lowered the likelihood of mental distress in those who possessed it.