Optimism and the Power of Positive Thinking

I don't see the value in teaching people to view positive outcomes as evidence of intrinsic good, while viewing negative outcomes as circumstantial. In reality, all outcomes in our lives are a mix of our actions and circumstances. Why would it be a good idea to skew your viewpoint otherwise?

Also - Optimists must believe that the world offers ample opportunities for everyone to succeed? That is a very American viewpoint. Many Americans grow up in abundance, and are taught that homeless people are lazy, don't want to succeed, etc. In reality there are *billions* of people on this planet who haven't been born with the advantages we have in the US. The world certainly doesn't offer them ample opportunities for success.

Optimism is just phony chipperness without an accurate view of reality. - 5/15/2013 3:23:44 PM

My comforter zone, peace, happiness and joy all come from the All Mighty Father. Which his son died for me to have all this. Amen - 4/28/2013 8:54:35 PM

As somebody who has always lived in negative surroundings, I had to find positive role models. When I began working with young folks, I took it upon myself to become one of those role models. The transition wasn't an easy one, but I learned so much along the way. A positive attitude does NOT mean denying problems. Rather, it involves facing them optimistically. As I realize that I can impact my world and my situation, I feel less helpless and more optimistic. I accept the negatives in the world, but look over, under, around and beyond them. I DO problem solve, and I DO see grim, disturbing, and even deadly on the spectrum, but I do NOT give in and give up. I remember the blind, paraplegic artist who paints with her teeth, the parent who turned the loss of her child (the most devastating event I can imagine personally) into a national support group for parents who've lost a child. Even ranting and raging have their place in my optimistic world, for they let me release the negative and move forward much more quickly than I otherwise would. Then I seek out compassionate, optimistic friends and we look toward a brighter future that we can build together. The laughter and love have been curative for me and I cherish my ability to give and receive both. - 4/4/2013 7:31:40 AM

Elizabeth, I loved your comment! I am a realist as well. I'm basically content most of the time, but I'm real enough to know that life is not always a rose garden and no one promised me that it would be. Nothing positive ever manifests itself as a whole from a negative situation if the person is not willing to recognize that it's negative, otherwise it's just burying your head in the sand or putting rose colored glasses on. We need both in our lives to see the difference. We need the good times, the bad times, the joy, the sadness, the excitement, the depression, the calm and the anxiety. I believe that's how it was meant to be. To believe that life should be a 24/7 happy party is just not real. In my opinion, today's society believes that if you are not happy all the time, then you must rush off to your doc for medication. We don't even know how to work through problems anymore and certainly don't know how to teach our children coping skills because so many of us don't have those skills ourselves. We have decided that drugs are the answer to coping. Positive change happens from recognizing a negative and solving it. If a person is not willing to accept the negative, they will never find the positive solution. Again, I really liked your post! - 3/23/2013 6:37:14 AM

I was rsised by wonderful, caring parents but unfortunately they were very frightened people. I learned at a young age to always look for the worm in the apple.

Its been a long process learning to smile at the worms antics, while enjoying the apple. : ) - 3/8/2013 10:30:27 AM

Being optimistic and reasonably happy is a choice. Being miserable every day is also a choice. Seems smart to me to choose to be reasonably happy......
I am convinced that my choice is right for me. My relatives seem to dwell on misery, and perhaps, they are even "happy" in their misery----odd as it seems to me! - 2/26/2013 4:49:22 PM

You find real joy when you have a personal relationship with Jesus! :-) - 2/26/2013 4:04:43 PM

I went to middle school and high school with a guy named Jon Burcaw. His son, Shane, has a disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Despite the poor prognosis, he started a blog a couple of years ago. He tells his stories about his life and his experiences. The blog is called 'Laughing at my Nightmare', and you'd expect it to be quite negative, but Shane firmly believes in positivity.

I invite you to read the blog: http://laughingat
mynightmare.1
000notes.com/
And to check out his non-profit organization: http://laughingat
mynightmare.com/

Enjoy! - 2/26/2013 1:27:30 PM

I am neither an Opiomist or a Pessimist. I am a Realist which translates into thinking logically based knowledge of the circumstances that I am experiencing. As an Example: if you were 85 years old and did some arithmetic you would realize that your life span was coming to an end. How would you use this information in a way that would put a positive spin on a rather dreary future, especially if you are non-religous?.
In the words of the tennis player, Arthur Ashe I would tend to agree with his philosophy which is, " Start where you are.
Use what you have. Do what you can".Sometimes Opimimism is based on ignorance that gives one positive self talk because they don't understand why or how their circumstances came about.
The parents of the 20 young children killed in Newtown would, I think have a difficult time to put a positive spin on the loss of their children.
Their are certain realities in life that are random and extremely negative. Perhaps the best way to approach such situations is to face the problem and try to find solutions for it. If there are no solutions and negative thoughts rule the day I suppose professional help might be needed. When Elizabeth Kubler Ross suffered a massive stroke that left her completely dependent upon care givers she couldn't accept her own principles concerning acceptance and working through physical adversity until final resolution to the situation was attained. When it comes to weight loss I would apply Arthur Ashe's Philosophy which in effect allows you "To accept where you are (when the scale reads weight gain). Try another food plan," Use what you have", and thus, " Do what you can".
Everything in life in terms of thinking has degrees. We can't be all positive or all negative in our thoughts if we want to feel happy. What we can do is isolate the REASONS behind both kinds of thinking and balance them so as to acheive some sort of workable equilibrium.

Elizabeth - 2/26/2013 10:03:17 AM

We always fly higher with a high Ei...er !!!! [emotional intelligence] Thanks for the message, again. We can always repeat this positivity message.....to # 1. Cheers for the years! - 2/26/2013 9:23:40 AM

Coming from a pessimistic personal past, I can't stress enough that pessimistic approach to life is the WRONG way of living.

It needs a lot of 'training' to change the frequency, but it's worth the effort. Re-wiring my way of thinking required an amount of determination equivalent to the energy I wasted thinking in negative way.
- 2/26/2013 8:50:55 AM

This was a great article & very positive as it was meant to be! The one thing I would add to this though that was missing was when you're met with a set-back (such as a job loss) & you evaluate the situation, accept responsibility for your actions (don't make excuses), learn from them and then move on. I realize there are times when decisions are made that are beyond our control that affect us but we must be realistic as well as optimistic.
I agree with a lot of what DANJODEA posted about a good balance between optimism and pessimism.

I would describe myself as a realistic optimist. With that being said...Here's hoping everyone has great things happen in 2013! - 1/5/2013 10:06:52 AM

Thank you so much this hits the nail on the head and lately, I need a good kick in the butt. - 11/6/2012 6:50:45 PM

This article is spot on! I know when I am feeling down, I don't feel well physically. But when I feel good mentally and keep looking for the positive in life, I feel well physically and I am more prone to eat well and exercise. Definitly try to keep a positive outlook! - 9/13/2012 9:46:58 AM

This is a great article.When things go wrong we should look at it and see what good can come from it. If you dwell on misery, and gloom you are going to be miserable. In2010 I lost my mother,2 aunts 1 uncle and my only friend it was a bad year,but if it wasn't for my mother's encouraging words about my weight I wouldn't be here today. Thanks, I am going to think more positively. - 9/13/2012 8:17:01 AM