�Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.� Abraham Lincoln
�Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them.� Epictetus
�Conquer yourself � not the world.� Rene Descartes
Changing how you think can change your life. And not just in narrow, limited ways. Changing your attitude and your mindset can drive profound changes throughout all areas of your life. This isn�t just wishful thinking or self-help hype � it�s backed up by sound science. Research consistently shows that optimists � those with a positive outlook on life � live very different lives from pessimists. Consider the impact of optimism in these two areas of life�
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Job performance. Many studies have found that optimists generally outperform pessimists in the workplace. In fact, many companies now use optimism tests as one element of their hiring practices. Optimistic salespeople, for example, consistently outsell those who are less optimistic, and are less likely to quit. In sports, optimistic professional athletes and coaches perform better under pressure than pessimistic ones.
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Physical health. Optimists tend to be healthier and have better immune system functioning than pessimists. Optimists are also more likely to stick to efforts to improve their health (such as exercising and eating right). And when they do have health problems, optimists are often able to identify them relatively early because their belief that their actions can have beneficial results leads them to seek a doctor�s opinion.
In these areas and many more, it is clear that optimists achieve greater success than pessimists. In part, the impact of optimism is a self-fulfilling prophecy � optimists encounter fewer negative events in their lives because they take more proactive steps to avoid them. Optimists achieve more because they expect more, and as a result work harder and more persistently toward their goals.
Of course, the belief that optimism is a key driver in success is not new. In the 1950s, for example, Norman Vincent Peale published
The Power of Positive Thinking. The book�s message � that faith, prayer and positive thinking were the keys to a successful life � has much in common with modern secular research on optimism. And it was wildly successful. The book had a record-setting run on best-seller lists, and formed the basis of what could be called an �empire of inspiration� analogous in many ways to the multimedia empires of today�s top self-help gurus. Peale wrote a weekly syndicated newspaper column, published a monthly magazine, and even sold long-playing records of his sermons, forerunners of today�s success audiotape programs.
The big question is how, or if, can someone become more optimistic? Can you simply �choose� to think more positively? Peale certainly believe so, and advocated �mind emptying� � the practice of clearing the mind of all fears and anxieties while replacing them with positive thoughts. Today, researchers and therapists confirm that people can in fact learn to become more optimistic. In my experience, a three-step process is most effective:
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Recognition. Often negative thoughts occur so quickly and so repetitively that we don�t even recognize them. Thoughts like �I�m such a loser� or �I�m not good enough� can pop into mind so quickly that psychologists sometimes call them �automatic thoughts.� So step one is becoming aware of the negative thoughts that stand between you and optimism.
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Fight back. he next step involves �thought replacement� � learning to argue with your negative beliefs and replace them with more positive alternatives. Try asking yourself: What is the objective support for these negative beliefs? How are these beliefs holding me back? What more optimistic and empowering thoughts could I replace them with? It sounds easy, but it�s not. Optimism is a skill � it takes time and practice to develop it. And you really have to believe your new optimistic thoughts. It is possible, though, to become more optimistic. In fact, this process of counter-arguing with your negative thoughts is the basis of most modern forms of psychotherapy, particularly for treatments of depression. (For more on this, check out
Five Science-Based Steps for Declaring Independence from Negative Thinking
)
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Social support. Optimism is contagious. So is pessimism. Studies find that people who live with depressed people tend to become depressed themselves. Surrounding yourself with optimistic, supportive people will help you turn occasional optimistic thoughts into a habitual way of thinking.
