Studies have shown that on average an optimist will have a longer, healthier and a more fulfilled life then a pessimist.
In 1980 a study was carried out which monitored 122 men who had a heart attack. After eight years, 21 of the 25 most pessimistic patients had died. But only 6 of the optimistic ones had died.
The pessimist will see the worst in something. They will then take all the responsibility personally. They will then feel bad not just for what they have done, but for who they are, and believe nothing is right. They will then believe nothing will ever be right. At this point they will stop trying to change things and just concentrate on surviving. In the worst case scenario they will give up on simply surviving.
The optimist on the other hand will get something right and praise themselves. When they get it right again they will keep telling themselves how well they did. When things go wrong they will see it as a simple set-back. If things continue to go wrong they will put it down to circumstance and look at a way of changing things. They will look at all problems as opportunities.
An optimist has a totally different outlook on life. They spot opportunity not danger, they visualise the best possible outcome not the worst. An optimist will arrange a barbeque for Sunday week knowing it is going to be a bright, warm sunny day. A pessimist will expect it to rain and will possible not even bother to arrange it.
You will never succeed with a negative or pessimistic attitude to life. If you are inclined to be pessimistic you have to change your mindset, NOW.
Many people are so frightened that they may make a mistake, that in the end they do nothing. It's perfectly acceptable to make a mistake. We all learn from mistakes. You should learn to accept mistakes as part of the learning curve. You can learn more from your mistakes then you can from your achievements.
Begin to see things that go wrong as an opportunity to put them right. Learn from setbacks don't take them personally. Remember to try, try and try again. Each time you fail, you have learnt how not to do something. So next time, you will do it differently. Always believe in yourself, own the responsibility, but do not continuously blame yourself. Each time something goes wrong ask yourself; how can I turn this to my advantage?
If it rains when you have a barbeque, it's not your fault. You can not control the weather. Laugh about it and simply move indoors. You see it's not a problem. You have the opportunity to turn the barbeque into a party. You will probably find you will have an even better time.
Now if you had worried about the weather, then possibly the barbeque would not have even taken place. You would have convinced yourself that it was going to rain so you would have not even bothered to organise it. Now on the other hand if you had thought about the possibility of rain and had a plan in place to deal with that problem when and if it happened. You would have naturalised the negative effect.
So don't worry. Don't get "bogged down" with the negative outcome. Yes think about failure, think about setbacks, but always have a secondary plan of action waiting in the wings. By doing this you have thought about the negatives, dealt with them, and left yourself with only positive possibilities.
If you think you're going to fail, you're right, YOU WILL. If you think you're going to succeed, you're right, YOU WILL.
Mark Claridge specializes in teaching motivational and self-development skills. In his new FREE e-book "Mindset and Match" he covers amongst other subjects how having the correct mindset can bring you all you want out of life and is available at http://www.inthe6th.com.
Have you ever wondered what's really holding you back from... Read More
If you really want to be at your absolute peak... Read More
"Blankey" ? as in Security Blankey. OK? All parents know... Read More
'Stuart Goldsmith? Who is Stuart Goldsmith?' you may be asking.I... Read More
We're all aware of how important teamwork is and how... Read More
Change your thoughts and you change your world. -Norman Vincent... Read More
Living your successful life requires you to step out. I... Read More
Whenever you feel lethargic and depressed by your situation in... Read More
I look out my window at daybreak as the sunrise... Read More
Have you ever wondered why is it that after we... Read More
Here is an interesting quotation from Stephen Walsh."We're building up... Read More
If money is considered to be the root of all... Read More
The first week of May is a big birthday time... Read More
My experience tells me there are three stages people go... Read More
The darkness of Winter has descended.For many the long stormy... Read More
Achieving the really big goals and dreams always involves breaking... Read More
A im for what you want by focusing clearly on... Read More
When your life is over how will you be graded?... Read More
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not... Read More
Breaking the mold of being a child is difficult. The... Read More
Everyone has something, whether it be a habit, or aspect... Read More
The manifestations of motiveA man is captive within himself. He... Read More
Rather than beat around the bush and try to lead... Read More
I've never surfed in my life. Sometimes people tell me... Read More
In this article I'll talk about the reason that stops... Read More
1. Most of us are motivated by one of two... Read More
Enjoy a great quote to start off this fantastic week!"All... Read More
Sarah Watson is a young woman who contracted HIV eleven... Read More
One way to motivate yourself to work hard at anything... Read More
When the Universe is aligned, all things are possible. Kismet,... Read More
I am not a golfer, unless you count an occasional... Read More
Don't you just hate it when people make excuses for... Read More
January is synonymous with resolutions and getting organized is high... Read More
"Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small... Read More
In this article I'll talk about the reason that stops... Read More
Sarah Watson is a young woman who contracted HIV eleven... Read More
When I listen to people tell me about some of... Read More
If you wear many hats, manage a family and/or a... Read More
No matter how much you want to make your dreams... Read More
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men... Read More
Dreams may seem unimportant in your quest for success. And... Read More
Awareness, understanding what impacts you!Awareness makes it possible for you... Read More
Denial is a coping mechanism commonly used when something happens... Read More
Whenever you feel lethargic and depressed by your situation in... Read More
...it is in this whole process of meeting and solving... Read More
One of the first things successful people realize is the... Read More
Throughout the many pages of scores of motivational books, with... Read More
As many of you know I have a passion for... Read More
Need to move ahead and yet find yourself holding back?Edward... Read More
We have been told that the things we don't like... Read More
One of the things I've noticed about successful people is... Read More
Self Improvement Tip 4 Don't procrastinate! The more you put... Read More
Experiencing strong emotions is not uncommon. What is uncommon is... Read More
A friend of mine read the article, How to Use... Read More
This is a key to lasting motivation and beating procrastination.If... Read More
Life is a gift; live it with gusto everyday. Don't... Read More
When talking with people about their life, or their job,... Read More
How many times have you felt truly defeated by the... Read More
Elizabeth Kubler Ross once said, "People are like stained glass... Read More
Have you ever noticed that in life we almost always... Read More
It may sound silly but the key to self-confidence and... Read More
Our physical brains quickly and easily handle mundane sequences of... Read More
Have you ever had a great business idea?Did you focus... Read More
1. "I'm too old to make a change." Maybe you're... Read More
Daily actions to achieve your goals means daily progress and... Read More
Looking for a way to handle a setback?Edward W. Smith,... Read More
Motivation |