You might be surprised to hear that optimism is not an innate quality. Optimism and pessimism are ways of looking at yourself and the world through a positive or negative filter. Once you think of them as reflections of your mindset, it becomes much easier to believe that you can change. Like any new behavior, you need to practice every day for it to become a habit. Here are six ways to help you cultivate your optimism every day.
- Keep a journal
Maintaining a Journal or keeping a diary allows you to process events and to get a different perspective on them. It encourages self-reflection and captures insights into your thinking and behavior. You can write down what happened during your day and document, not just the facts but how you did it, what you did to make it happen and what you did right. And, importantly, how it felt while you were doing it. Don’t just record the good things (a promotion, a presentation or meeting that went well), remember to write down the things that didn’t go so well and reflect on what happened, how you dealt with it, and what you could have done differently.
- Laugh
Consciously notice the funny side of things and write them down. If the technology didn’t work, and you had to give the presentation without the slide deck, or the power went out, or there was a fire drill in the middle of your crucial meeting. What can seem like a disaster at the time can also be looked back on as a comedy of errors.
“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.”―Lucille Ball
- Write to your future
Write a letter or a journal entry that paints a picture of the future you want. What job are you doing? Are you running your own business? What have you learned? What has changed? Imagining how your future life looks and feels can be a powerful motivator for you to keep moving forward.
- Keep a kindness list
Have a page in your journal where you note down kind gestures. Write down when you are kind to someone, or when someone is kind to you. Even little things count, like opening a door for someone or letting them go first in the line for coffee. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they mount up, and your ever-lengthening list will give you a different perspective on things.
- Say thank you
Write a letter or email, phone or visit someone (a person outside your family) who has been genuinely kind to you. Tell them how much you appreciate what they did or said and how it has affected your life.
- Choose positivity
Make the positive choice to develop and maintain an optimistic outlook. Do this every morning when you wake up. Decide that today is going to be a great day. Everyone will have some level of suffering in their life. Choosing to remain optimistic in-spite of – will make it easier for you to bounce back from the bad times and to enjoy and be certain of the good times.
Until the next time!
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Victoria Parham (VP) is a woman of compassion, vision, faith, and purpose, she believes in meeting people where they are in their lives and offers a no-nonsense approach in her message, training, and coaching style.
Outspoken, wise, direct, thoughtful, and sometimes provocative, her message is always with love and respect. Victoria knows from her own experiences that we all have the power within us to make decisions and choices that can lead to living an authentic life that is enriching, filled with purpose, personal satisfaction, on-going growth, joy, and gratitude.Victoria believes that when we discover who we truly are, only then can we become our most authentic selves.
Outspoken, wise, direct, thoughtful, and sometimes provocative, her message is always with love and respect. Victoria knows from her own experiences that we all have the power within us to make decisions and choices that can lead to living an authentic life that is enriching, filled with purpose, personal satisfaction, on-going growth, joy, and gratitude.Victoria believes that when we discover who we truly are, only then can we become our most authentic selves.
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