WE are all born with it. Optimism comes naturally to young children, but as we grow it either grows stronger or weaker, depending on our experiences, childhood environment, and immediate society. When optimism becomes a mainstay of a person's personality, that person has a brighter view of himself and the world around him. Optimism and a positive outlook on life unleash a fiery energy to work hard, to be proactive. Optimism gives us patience, persistence, a desire to achieve great things, happiness, and better physical, mental, and emotional health. The widely recognized definition for optimism is the tendency to believe that one will experience good versus bad outcomes in life; it's looking on the bright side. And it is more than just viewing the glass of water as half full. Professor of psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman argues that optimism is related to the causes that we attribute to events in our lives; the way that we think about setbacks and victories. When an optimist faces a problem, she believes that it is temporary, it will change, and that it affects only one area of her life. When a pessimist runs into a problem, she believes that it is going to last forever, she cannot change it, and it will pool over into several areas of her life. An optimist is enthusiastic, develops new ideas, plans well, moves constantly towards self-improvement, and has hope and determination. Allah has placed optimism naturally in all of us; young children are full of energy, positivity, and interest in life. The child's relationships in the family cause this inborn optimism to either bloom and grow or dwindle down. Unfortunately, studies show that 70% to 80% of our internal self-talk is negative. By the time a child reaches 18 years of age, he will have received 150,000 negative messages and only 600 positive messages about himself. Optimists are more confident and self-motivated; they are better able to cope with adversities and to recognize and seize a good opportunity when it comes. Conversely pessimists tend to downplay their strengths and abilities, adversity profoundly impacts them, and they shy away from taking new opportunities because they are immersed in self-doubt. Helen Keller was blind and deaf by birth, but she amazingly learned to communicate and read in 5 languages and she became an author, political activist, lecturer, and the first blind and deaf person to earn a university degree. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us,” said Helen Keller. People are instantly drawn to the optimist's smile and positive attitude, which in turn helps her build healthy relationships with people in the community. Optimists have the drive to work harder and longer. Optimism, along with hard work and determination, paves the way to success. In his book, The Optimism Advantage, Terry Paulson corrects some misconceptions surrounding optimism. Consistent hard work, persistence, accomplishing one goal after another, and overcoming obstacles, coupled with optimism will lead to success. An optimist is not unrealistic and does not ignore danger signals. Optimism does not mean naivety, unwillingness to work, and laziness while clinging on to false hopes. An optimist tries to tackle challenges and change the situation for the better. An optimist understands the reality of a difficult situation, but she refuses to give up. She searches for ways to transform an adversity into an opportunity for growth, learning, and building character. According to a series of studies conducted by Harvard Medical School, optimists enjoy better health than pessimists. Studies show that optimistic people with positive emotions have lower blood pressure and a reduced risk for heart disease. Part of the reason could be that optimistic people enjoy better health because they lead healthier lifestyles, exercise more, sleep well, and maintain rewarding social relationships. A positive mental attitude influences the physiology of the body because it lowers the level of stress hormones and inflammation in the body. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh led a large study of over 97,000 women above the age of 50; they found that the optimistic women had a 9% lower incidence of heart disease and they were 14% more likely to be alive after 8 years than their pessimistic peers. The optimistic women were less likely to smoke, had a lower risk of depression; they were more likely to have a college degree and to hold onto religious beliefs. A new study at the University of Michigan found a link between positivity and protection against brain stroke. The study tested 6,044 men and women above the age of 50, and all subjects were free of stroke at the study's start. The optimism score was on a 16-point scale and after following them for two years, researchers discovered that each unit higher in optimism resulted in reduced stroke risk by 9%. More and more studies point to the correlation between a positive mental attitude and better health, a stronger immune system, faster wound healing, and a lower risk of heart disease. The magical key to better health could be optimism and since optimism is teachable, acquiring it can have a positive impact on public health. How can one learn optimism? That question will be answered in a future article.
