Ah yes! Optimism! Have you ever noticed that there are those among us who have this magical propensity to see the good in almost everyone and everything? They expect great people and good things to come their way. They are natural born optimists. Others have cultivated optimism because they knew it would enhance their lives.
We have all experienced optimism. You know when you are feeling up and believing that all is well… things seem to flow… the right people, information, circumstances come your way. Serendipity! You feel relaxed and happy.
By contrast, when you are down and feeling pessimistic… the energy is dense and heavy. Everything feels like a struggle. For those of us who have slipped down the slope of pessimism at one time or another… there is hope! The important thing is to be aware of it and not allow it to become habitual. Pessimists are not happy people…they have a negative outlook on life.
Cultivating optimism requires training your thoughts to focus on the positive and pleasant aspects of life and people. I’ll admit, this takes practice. OK… sometimes a lot of practice! Optimism is a choice, as is happiness. We may not always be in control of our circumstances, but we do have a choice about how to respond as opposed to react. It is said that we are free to create our own heaven or our own hell. There are things that you can do to boost your optimism…
- Gratitude…
Yes I know… we have heard it all before. But when we are thankful and appreciative of the bodies we live in, our loved ones, our homes, our food and clean water, etc, etc, etc; we immediately raise our energy and our vibration. This in turn increases our ability to attract more good into our lives. Like energy attracts like energy. - Spiritual Practice…
Meditation, Prayer, Nature, Journaling. Go within yourself to your Divine Inner Being. There is peace there… and joy… and hope. You begin to believe in the good that surrounds you. This creates a state of grace. - Movement…
Yoga, Dance, Exercise… floods the body with feel good hormones… releases stress and tension and negative emotion… clears the mind. - Contemplation and Self Knowledge…
Getting in touch with your real heartfelt values and honoring them. Committing to your own happiness and making choices that support that.
However… there are times in our lives when we feel down, a bit depressed, devoid of hope; or we’re fretting over an issue in our lives. How to activate our optimism then? We have to acknowledge how we feel… and then do everything we possibly can to bring ourselves back to a feeling of hope and well-being (honoring our commitment). This takes major TLC (tender loving care)…
- Kind and loving self dialogue…
Treat yourself as your own beloved. - Distraction…
A book or movie that lets you laugh or cry…. releases emotion. - Sensual Delights and Creature Comforts…
Engage all your senses with beauty. Fragrant bubble baths and silk lounge clothes, beautiful flowers, cooking or baking lovely food, listening to beautiful music, gardening (being close to the earth is very grounding and dispels negative energy), a swim, a walk in fresh air, being cozy in front of a wood fire in the fireplace. Hmmm… earth, water, fire, and air! - Music and Dance…
Happy, loud, fast! Not the time for sad love songs or serious lyrics. Spend a good half hour dancing yourself silly! - Cleaning…
Clearing out clutter from drawers, closets and cupboards… ridding yourself of excess stuff. Scrubbing your home sparkling clean. What woman doesn’t feel great after that?!
When we care about the way we feel every day, it is easier to cultivate optimism. When we are truly aware of all the good in our lives, it becomes more natural to be optimistic. We begin to notice more… the goodness and kindness of other people… the love and abundance in our lives… the joy of being alive. Some of us have people in our lives that are staunch ‘realists’. Cultivate your optimism anyway! It will make your days more joyful and your life more fulfilling!