With all the negative news that is being reported today, it's no wonder many people have a pessimistic attitude.Yet, despite that, there are some people who look towards the optimistic side of life no matter what happens to them.How is it that two people can look at the same thing and come away with different viewpoints - one negative and the other positive?Martin Seligman mentioned this in his book, Learned Optimism.He wanted to know why certain people are optimistic versus those that are pessimistic.He explained in his book that both optimism and pessimism has its place in our lives.Being overly optimistic can lead some into a wrong path and being pessimistic can help stop some people from making a bad decision.Even some careers are better for people that are pessimistic - lawyers being one example.Overall, especially regarding health, optimistic people tend to be much healthier and happier than pessimistic people.Seligman pointed out that even when things go right with pessimistic people, they tend to see the negatives in it.He mentioned that the use of cognitive therapy focuses on moving people from pessimism to optimism.That's also part of what Albert Ellis taught in Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT).REBT explains that if you want to be happy, then look at what you believe is making you unhappy as an irrational belief (IB).It's not what is making us unhappy, it's our own thoughts that does that.We can change our thoughts by focusing on whether they are rational or not.REBT helps you to think about your thoughts in a more rational manner.Once you do that, then you can look at both the negative and positive thoughts as just that.And you can choose to separate them into what they are and focus on just the positive ones.From there you can make a decision to accept everything about yourself (conditional self-acceptance) instead of trying to self-rate.The more optimistic you become, the more people will gravitate towards you.People love being around people who are optimistic.When challenges confront the optimist, they will take it head on as opposed to the pessimist, who tends to shrink from it.By surrounding yourself with people who are optimistic, it will enable you to develop more of the same type of thinking.I can remember my mother being around people who were always talking about the negative things that happen to them.This would go on for years.Eventually my own mother started thinking this way.Pessimism breeds pessimism.It works the same for optimism.As I thumb through my copy of the DSM-IV-TR, it seems that psychology and psychiatry are focused on what is wrong with people than what is right.It's no wonder talk therapy takes years and years with very little results versus cognitive behavioral therapy.Work towards optimism in your life and do the little things everyday that will lead you there.Start with understanding your thoughts.Also understand that our response to something is what causes us to act a certain way and not the thing that causes it.Separate rational beliefs from irrational beliefs.This will start you on the road to more happiness, health, and wealth.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
How Optimism Leads to a Happier, Healthier, and Wealthier Life
With all the negative news that is being reported today, it's no wonder many people have a pessimistic attitude.Yet, despite that, there are some people who look towards the optimistic side of life no matter what happens to them.How is it that two people can look at the same thing and come away with different viewpoints - one negative and the other positive?Martin Seligman mentioned this in his book, Learned Optimism.He wanted to know why certain people are optimistic versus those that are pessimistic.He explained in his book that both optimism and pessimism has its place in our lives.Being overly optimistic can lead some into a wrong path and being pessimistic can help stop some people from making a bad decision.Even some careers are better for people that are pessimistic - lawyers being one example.Overall, especially regarding health, optimistic people tend to be much healthier and happier than pessimistic people.Seligman pointed out that even when things go right with pessimistic people, they tend to see the negatives in it.He mentioned that the use of cognitive therapy focuses on moving people from pessimism to optimism.That's also part of what Albert Ellis taught in Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT).REBT explains that if you want to be happy, then look at what you believe is making you unhappy as an irrational belief (IB).It's not what is making us unhappy, it's our own thoughts that does that.We can change our thoughts by focusing on whether they are rational or not.REBT helps you to think about your thoughts in a more rational manner.Once you do that, then you can look at both the negative and positive thoughts as just that.And you can choose to separate them into what they are and focus on just the positive ones.From there you can make a decision to accept everything about yourself (conditional self-acceptance) instead of trying to self-rate.The more optimistic you become, the more people will gravitate towards you.People love being around people who are optimistic.When challenges confront the optimist, they will take it head on as opposed to the pessimist, who tends to shrink from it.By surrounding yourself with people who are optimistic, it will enable you to develop more of the same type of thinking.I can remember my mother being around people who were always talking about the negative things that happen to them.This would go on for years.Eventually my own mother started thinking this way.Pessimism breeds pessimism.It works the same for optimism.As I thumb through my copy of the DSM-IV-TR, it seems that psychology and psychiatry are focused on what is wrong with people than what is right.It's no wonder talk therapy takes years and years with very little results versus cognitive behavioral therapy.Work towards optimism in your life and do the little things everyday that will lead you there.Start with understanding your thoughts.Also understand that our response to something is what causes us to act a certain way and not the thing that causes it.Separate rational beliefs from irrational beliefs.This will start you on the road to more happiness, health, and wealth.
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