If you’re outside looking up and see the sun partially covered by clouds, are you more likely to call the day partly sunny or partly cloudy? Optimists are more likely to focus on the sunshine, while the pessimists notice the clouds.
Although we might assume our personal perspectives aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things, it turns out that optimists have some significant advantages over the cynics in the world.
For instance, optimists are great folks to hang with at mealtime. They tend to underestimate their own weight, so they’re unlikely to judge you for digging into that second slice of cheesecake. They also exercise more regularly than pessimists, so they’ll probably reassure you that you can burn off the extra calories at the gym in the morning. Optimists live healthier lifestyles, in general.
Optimists worry less than pessimists. Optimists also expect good things to happen. That’s a frame of mind that actually enhances the likelihood that good things will happen. It’s like buying a new car and suddenly noticing a lot more of that model on the road. If we look for positive signs, we’re going to find them.
When you train yourself to look for the good in people, it’s much easier to find. Focusing on how to make things better instead of how much worse a situation can get is a behavior worth turning into a habit.
Not only will you change the way you view the weather, you’ll also change the way you live your life.
I’m Suzanne Degges-White, and that’s my perspective.
