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Monday, October 26, 2020

Train your mind to be optimistic in tough times

6 ways to become optimistic and lead a successful and healthy life.







 

Human beings are optimistic by nature. It’s a positive trait that holds our faith intact and gives us the inner strength to fight life’s battle, no matter how bad or worse the situation be.

The very word optimism energizes and stokes us with positive emotions, and nudges us with strength and courage to move in the right direction, springs new hope in our heart in anticipation of a bright & better tomorrow, enables you to cast off the negative and naysaying mind prods you to look for an oasis in the desert.

What is Optimism;

Metaphorically optimism is seeing a glass as Half-empty or Half-full. An optimist is a person who focuses on opportunities in adverse situations and will not discount or ignore the obstacles.

Optimism is positive psychology, you will have a positive orientation towards life. We are optimistic about career, relationship, financial well-being..and many more.

We are  hooked to life despite the trouble  because of our positive outlook, we expect the situation to turn around and look  good someday in the future, this is what keeps us going the “optimism”


Let me share interesting stories on optimism

 A big shoe company decided to set up a sales showroom in one of the towns, so they sent two marketing experts to find out the potential and set up the unit.

After a few days of marketing research one of the experts concluded by saying “ Don’t waste time, nobody wears the shoes in this town”

Another expert not aware of the first, one’s  findings write a mail to the company “ Congrats, please send the material fast, we have a huge potential as no one wears shoes in this town”

Same people different views,  one is pessimistic and another is optimistic, and the latter sees an opportunity in every situation and looks for a positive outcome.

Just on the humor side of optimism…..Two friends went to a barbershop, one had hair and another was bald except for a few strands of hair. ……On seeing the bald guy the barber was puzzled, asked how could he help…the bald friend asked the barber to colour his hair…….. he was optimistic he would look good!

Carl Lewis…called dearly by Americans as Carl the King….a great athlete, a dominant sprinter, and a long jumper won 9 Olympic gold medals, one silver Olympic medals, and 10 world championship medals. He is known for his tenacity, courage, and strength…he had to face many challenges including severe injuries that had crippled him, but. optimistic nature kept him going and he achieved an unparalleled feat, which would be remembered for generations to come.

 


Why optimism is important;

 By being optimistic you can improve your physical and psychological well-being, Surprisingly many diseases are cured by being optimistic and not letting the negativity take over.

 You feel rejuvenated and energized, and active, you remain emotionally stable and grounded in reality.

History is replete with people who by sheer optimism and determination achieved unimaginable success and glory. It may be winning a war or building an empire, It could be a  scientific invention, or bringing social changes.

All these people struggled hard and faced terrible situations, but they had one thing in common, they were optimistic and undeterred by the hardship. They were self-motivated worked relentlessly in anticipation of their endeavor coming to fruition.

SEMrush


What constitutes optimism:

Optimism is a trait, all of us have to some degree. When placed in a certain bad situation, we don’t get deterred, we face boldly and beam a positive outlook and think of it as a temporary setback.

 Some people succumb to pressure and become a pessimist and start brooding If the period of uncertainty stretches a little longer time. They don't have the mental strength and courage to endure and move forward.

What amazes is the tenacity and the courage of optimistic folks, despite having to put up with the prolonged period of uncertainty. There are a few strong individuals who fight the battle till the end, they don’t succumb to temporary pressures and accept defeat. They are profound in their thought process and they are aware of every pitfall and don’t get discouraged even in the worst-case scenario.

 

Optimistic VS Realistic.

It’s good to be optimistic, but we need to be aware of the reality also. Due to over-optimism, we tend to ignore reality. 24/7 you can’t be seeing the rainbows, there are dark clouds and showers. We must be prepared and be aware of the unfavorable situations which can contribute to defeating the purpose.

Ex: in gambling people keep increasing the stakes in anticipating a win even when they are losing continuously.. you must know when to accept reality and learn to pull yourself out. Very rarely people make money in gambling unless you are a manipulator.

Ex:  You have to be realistic in business, understanding business nuances in the face of reality gives you an edge over others and propel to accelerate growth. Being optimistic serves to stay in the middle of tough competition.

You must know when to invest and when to stop and should you bootstrap or go to venture capitalist.

 Optimism brings resilience;

Optimism leads to resilience, it gives the inner strength to bounce back from trauma ( emotional or physical) and gain normalcy. Resilient people are optimistic from the core, the very essence is drawn from this trait or attribute. 

Ex: People who have met with an accident with multiple injuries can bounce back solely because of an optimistic outlook and resilient nature.

  It is not easy to be optimistic in the midst of negativities and adverse situations. One needs to have a good determination, a positive frame of mind, and trust. Being optimistic gives you an immense benefit, we shall discuss in the latter part.

Why are we not optimistic;

There are many reasons for not being optimistic. The below points for me seems a major contributing factor.

1. It may be due to bad past experiences and repeated failures.

2.  It may be in belief systems

3. Lack of self-confidence

4. Being in the company of pessimists, you get rubbed on with the same energy.

5. Depression and other organic causes.

 


  
How to be optimistic;

Optimism is an essential trait that makes you successful. According to a few studies, it’s the gateway to health and a socially fulfilling life.

Psychologists have recommended many methods to develop the attribute of Optimism. I have taken a few points below, it is also my experience if followed faithfully impacts life positively.

      1. Don’t let the past failures to bog you down;

When the past failures stalk you, don’t fret and fume, please be calm and analyze the situation and find the cause for failures. When you know the Why’s the How becomes easy and the opportunity emerges from the shadows. Be tenacious in your search for Why’s …..after that everything falls in place.

“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”

2.  Reflect;

It’s time to take stock of your behavior, go deep inside to reflect. By doing so, you will come to know your flaws and help you to take corrective action. Reflect on the lessons learned from failures and the opportunities presented to you.

 

       3. Be with positive people;

Surround yourself with positive thinking people, you will get that energy and motivation.

     

       4. Believe;

Believe in your potential and believe that anything can change, nothing is permanent and everything is subject to change……When you believe your potential expands and you are set to achieve the impossible. Also, change your belief system from lackness to abundance.

 

     5. Focus;

Stay focused on your goals and never take your eyes off, whatever may be the circumstances. Intense focus allows you to gain the confidence to resolve any issues or problems. Naturally, you become optimistic

 

     6. Be accountable;

Take charge of your life and never be a victim of circumstances. Never find excuses or blame others for the failures.

 

Friends….. Life is not easy, don’t expect it to be easy, the very way life designed is to go through these moments of imperfections and learning from it.

 Adversities are part of life, some people have to endure for a longer period.….it’s ok to cry, it’s ok to be struggling, it’s ok to feel bad and crib…it’s ok to tell your friends that you have failed……but it’s not ok to give up and stop trying… you never know tomorrow can be a turning point and your life can flip for the better.

Nothing is easy in life…There is always a struggle, be optimistic everything will change for the better.


12 comments:

  1. Nice Sri but certain situations it is very difficult to become optimistic and one who can do it should be great

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    1. Thanks Santosh,
      Yes, you are right...it's difficult to be optimist in midst of turbulence...the core optimist is able to go through the vicissitudes of life and emerge out successfully

      Delete
  2. Nice articulated thoughts Srikanth. In my opinion one can be positive thinker, if they are passionate of things what they do, this gives room for Hope and builds Confidence in what you do which allows you to take RISK and ultimately you get Satisfied from your Job. Now this becomes Experientil Learning

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    1. Raghunandan,
      Your point is well taken, being passionate spins you in right direction and builds confidence and hope...well said.

      Delete
  3. Dear Srikanth,
    You have dealt with optimism very nicely, I fully agree with you without optimism one cannot achieve anything in life. Optimism always push one near to success. Pessimistic approach always involves fear which pulls down possible success. Your flow of words and approach for positive or optimistic route is excellent and understanding for common man, sure it will benefit who is struggling to be optimistic.

    Thank you,
    Narayan Sharma

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Sharma or such a nice comments and encouraging words.

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  4. Another well articulated session Sri!

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  5. Six points that you have enumerated are good and pragmatic and while all of us know that optimism is one trigger we must have in life's varied problems and situations,but sometimes pessimism grips unknowingly, because of the pace of hectic activities and schedules,which due to paucity of time forces us to skip reviewing our tasks and goals at hand periodically and make us feel we aren't nearing our objectives. Here only way is to unclutter our minds and arrive at clarity in our thinking and revising our intended objectives accordingly. For this to happen we indeed need to have some beneficial Physical kalisthenics/ yoga/ walking combined with meditation so that feel good hormones: Oxytocin, Serotonin, Dopamine levels surge to optimum and stressor hormone cortisol to be downsized leading to normal adrenaline parameters for normal required levels of activities without being euphoric or lethargic. Good balanced nutrition and sufficient hydration are also must to prop up sagging optimism as well being of mind too are dependent on these factors also frequent illnesses again raise their heads when we lose sight of good nutrition and hydration and sap our energies and enthusiasm.

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    1. Thanks Vydyanath for such an elaborate explanation....

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  6. Srikant you're wonderfully continuing to impart needy life-lessons to young and old alike.
    A word about optimism.
    True and natural optimism is a feeling of certitude that wells up from the depths of our soul. It could be a general feeling about one's life and destiny or a strong feeling for something particular like a project. It manifests as a feeling of faith. It's a true light that comes from the soul that's in touch with Truth. It'll succeed in spite of all adversaries. Outwardly it may clothe itself in desires and ambitions.
    There's a false light that stems from no deeper than our superficial desires, one must guard against. Normally you'll be trying to cover up a deeper discomfort with a false sense of optimism. It may just mislead you to ventures that may end in fiasco.
    You need a certain soul-discernment to discriminate between the two. Only those desires you'll fulfill that have soul-sanction.

    GS

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Srinatha,
      a very thoughtful comments...once again thanks for adding value to my blog.

      Delete