Life through the window of Optimism

Is life, like the scenery outside of our house window? From a window, we can see the blue skies, the blooming flowers, the busy streets, the happiness and sadness of people.

Everything from the day to day life will be the same but it is our perception and opinion that will differ and that will change the outlook towards life. For example, “Two men look out through the same window bars: One sees the mud, and one sees the stars” is the quote by ‘Frederick Langbridge’ in his book- “A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts”. The bars, the mud, the stars are all same but the look and observation of those two men are different. 

I believe life is what we make it. Life is what we see through our window of perception and beliefs. Say, if you have placed second in a writing contest, will you jump for joy and push for better results to be in the first place for the next time or will you be discouraged and find an excuse not to join again? 

Life is a bucket full of choices that we can take. Usually, life can be viewed in two ways: a pessimist way or an optimist way. It is our choice who we can be, whether an optimist or a pessimist. Intellectual people will always try to be an optimist for the betterment of life and research shows that it really pays to be an optimist. 

Let us see how optimists act and 10 reasons why we should nurture optimism or an optimist point of view……..

1. Optimism is to wish, to believe those good things to happen to us in our life. Good things like success, happiness, long healthy life etc. This wishful thinking makes us fight, work hard for those goodies. 

2. Optimism increases positive mood, good morale, academic and occupational success, popularity, good health, freedom from trauma or depression. 

3. Pessimism leads to depression, to believe bad events will happen which will last a long time and makes us undermine everything we do and ultimately make us feel that it is our own fault. It affects not only the middle-aged adults in the same way but also the younger people as well. The mean age of onset has gone from 15 to 30 years. It is no longer a middle-aged housewife’s disorder but also a teen-ager’s disorder as well.

4. Optimists expect the best. The truth is that optimists are also confronted with the same hard knocks and struggles of this world as pessimists. What differs is the way optimists explain their misfortune or failure in the opposite way. They tend to believe that defeat is just a temporary setback and its causes are confined to that one case and not to the whole life.

5. Optimists tend to focus on the problem at hand and plan for solving and solution. They use the method of positive reinterpretation. By this method, they reinterpret a negative experience in a way that helps them learn and grow. This makes them unfazed by a bad situation or experience and helps them to perceive it as a challenge which in turn make them try harder. If they fall, they will stand up again.

6. Optimists have positive expectations which help to predict better reactions and changes during transitions to new environments, sudden tragedies and unlikely turn of events. They see opportunities instead of obstacles. 

Unlike pessimists, they won’t believe and say “things will never get better”, “If I failed once, it will happen again” and “If I experience misfortune in one part of my life, then it will happen in my whole life.” 

7. Optimism seems to be a socially desirable trait in all communities. People respond positively to optimists because they are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They usually draw people towards them and find no need to control or manipulate people. Their optimism is generally accepted and their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those around them. In life, these people are sought for advice, get voted most congenial and often win elections.

The people who spread negative waves like gloom, panic and hysteria in the environment are treated unfavourably. 

8. Optimists get tougher and maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress and tougher situations. They persevere with patience and just don’t give up easily. Thus they inch their way a step closer to their goals or elusive dreams.

Whereas pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with problems. They are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise.

9. Medical research shows that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body’s ability to fight disease. Optimists are healthier, live longer and their health is unusually good. They get to outlive those prone to negative thoughts. These people age naturally but feel young than the people experiencing the usual physical ills of middle age.  

10. An optimist looks forward to success in all their endeavours and is resilient. They think positively towards a more fulfilled life. 

Everybody is bound to hit lows sometimes but we just can’t stay there forever. We should carry ourselves out of the mud and improve our chances of getting back on the right track. Why not inspire others to remove their dark-coloured glasses and see life on the bright side!