Tag Archive for pessimist

Can a Pessimist Become An Optimist?

February 23, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

If you’re an optimist you may live by the old “glass is half-full” theory. But if you’re a pessimist and your glass is “half-empty” you may not be okay with this. 

You can work on switching mindsets, and GenuLines has some suggestions on making your mental “U-turn.”

(Listen to this post by clicking here)

Can a Pessimist Become An Optimist?

Optimist Smiley Face BallSome of us are born with sunny dispositions. Others are prone to negativity.

 
 
 
 
Many factors come into play:
 
*Childhood experiences
*Temperament
*Environment
*Economic status
*Genetic predisposition
 
These can play into a pessimistic attitude. But there is one factor that may have the power to transform those reasons – the power of choice.
 
Optimism as a Choice
Someone with a negative mindset might view negative circumstances as all or nothing. A catastrophic event,
 
But those in the positive camp look at the negatives and assess their choices. They then go on to make the best decision in their control.
 
Plus, their positive mindset can bring them a more constructive and useful attitude.
 
How a Pessimist can become More Optimistic
 
Brain Training
While changing any part of our personality is never easy, it is doable. An individual must want it though.
 
Try telling a pessimist their attitude can change their outlook and thus change their life. Now expect a cynical response.
 
But if their decision is their own there’s more chance of success. Especially if the person is trying to find purpose or more joy in life.
 
Focus
What you focus on expands. Always focusing on what is wrong and what does not work is a surefire way to get more of the same.
 
Most everything can and does go wrong. There are plenty of positive circumstances in life to focus on:
 
What does go right in your life?
Counting your blessings
What do you have to be grateful for?
What does work?
 
Perception
Can adversity can contain some semblance of a silver lining? Will a pessimist view an ending as a beginning or as a lesson learned?
 
Can a pessimist find the deeper meaning instead of looking through a negative lens?
 
Internalizing
It’s best not to make the circumstances personal. In other words, what if something happened only because it happened and not because of “bad luck?”
 
Moving away from the woe-is-me way of thinking opens the door to a broader view.
 
Storytelling
Another way to subdue negative thinking is through stories. A pessimist will say they have no luck.
 
Everything always happens to them. Everybody else gets to get what they want.
 
Something happened because something happened – no story attached.
 
Changing your focus and perception. Don’t internalize.
 
Tell yourself a new story. See the glass as half-full and bring more optimism into your life.
 
JohnK 2-23-2021
 
stick man hears about optimistsOverheard: “Optimism is the madness of insisting that all is well when we are miserable”
                          ~Voltaire
 
 
 
 
 
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Can You Learn To Be More Optimistic?

March 18, 2020 John Uncategorized No comments

Optimistic outlooks are pretty rare these days. It’s easy to point to everything that’s going on in the world to back this up. 

GenuLines takes a look at some optimism building blocks and how you can use them to build a new outlook.

(You can listen to this article by clicking on below or scroll down to read it)

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Can You Learn To Be More Optimistic?

Door to optimismWe all know that one person who sees the positive in every situation.  Some of us hate that person. 
 
Some of us love that person.  And some of us ARE that person.
 
If you’re not that person, you may be wondering if you can actually learn (or teach yourself) to be more optimistic. While some people are inherently positive, others lean toward the negative. 
 
 
 
Are we capable of changing from one to the other?
There are many benefits to a positive mindset. Optimists tend to be healthier and they lead lives that are better in most ways.
Changing the Way you Think
It turns out that optimism is more than thinking things will be better and pessimism means they will not. Instead, we use these words to describe the way a person thinks about what causes adversity.
 
A pessimist tends to think about these things in a way that makes them feel powerless. For example, a pessimist might say their adversity is due to internal forces.
 
They’ll say it’s all their fault, and there’s no way they can change it.
 
It’s possible to change the way that you think about things. When adversity makes your first thought a negative one, take a step back.
Re-examine it from a different angle
Let’s say you’re studying for a test and you’re struggling to understand the material. It’s easy to fall into thinking that you’re going to fail.
 
Rather, think about ways you might better understand the material. Then work on learning and studying what’s needed to help you toward a good grade.
 
Re-route your pessimism away from making failure inevitable.
 
Change your thought process and study the material to boost your chances of success. Our attitudes toward things are somewhat inherent.
 
But it’s possible to change your thinking and be more optimistic in the process.
Don’t rely on clicking off positive quotations to yourself and nothing else.
 
Do teach yourself to look at every situation from different angles.
 
Do that and don’t be surprised when your attitude improves, too.
 
JohnK 3-18-2020
 
stick figure man hears about optimismOverheard: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree”
                                                                      ~Martin Luther
 
 
 
 
        
 
 
Article image by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
 
 
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