7 Tips to Train Yourself to Be an Optimist

Training yourself to be an optimist is important to live to the fullest and to boost your positivity in every aspect of your daily life: in relationships, at work, during your journeys. The unforeseen difficulties are just around the corner and you can deal with them being optimist. Optimism is an inner strength that you have to train everyday. Remember that everything starts from your mind. Here are some tips on how to do.

1) Balance things out. Sometimes we are pessimistic. Often the sky of life is covered by the clouds of negative thoughts. The good news is that, unlike the weather, you have the power to wipe them away. How? Replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts and focus only on them. Your anxiety will go away slowly. Think of three positive moments of your life. Be positive!

2) Live here and now. We are all engulfed in a frenetic world. We let the present slip away or focus on the negative experiences we have lived. The past is so called because it passed! The future is yet to come. Stop worry about what might be! Enjoy the simple things of life such as reading a book, chatting with a friend, listening to good music, enjoying your family. Stop asking yourself “Am I happy?”. Happiness is made of moments, just think to be peaceful 😉

3) Keep away from negative people. I often talk to people dissatisfied with their lives. Do not get carried away by bad moods of others. Many people try to undermine your enthusiasm. Surround yourself with positive people who encourage you to be optimistic and move forward in life, whatever happens.

4) Be constructive and confident. Wonderful things and new opportunities will soon come into your life! Self-pity does not help. Build your dream and have faith! Build positive relationships. Learn to enjoy the success and joys of others. It will activate the cells of positivity (that’s how I call them) and you will feel the desire to reach your goals! Think of those less fortunate than yourself! Remember: you cannot know in depth the lives of others. Are you sure people you envy are really happy?

Think positive and positive things will happen

5) Forgive yourself. Don’t be too cruel and hard on yourself. If something is not as you wanted (and trust me, often it doesn’t depend on you) maybe there is something better for you. Do not jump into the vortex of the “I won’t be succeed in…”.

6) Learn to be grateful. Train yourself to say “thank you” to defeat negativity. There will be always unexpected obstacles and if you deal with them in an optimistic way you will overcome them! Focus on your talents and qualities, on the people who love you and on the beautiful life that you have lived so far. Do not just be thankful only in your mind. Be concrete. Say “thank you” with words, write it, show it. Small gestures are important, don’t segregate them in your mind. Every morning and every night look at yourself in the mirror and say “thanks” for the woman or the man you are, for your experiences, for the goals you have reached until now, for the pains you have overcome, for what you have learned. YOU are a gift.

7) Travel. I have learned a lot through travel. In a certain way, travel forces you to be an optimist. Often the journey can be a pot of unexpected events and you absolutely can not be pessimistic. Many times I’ve seen friends to lose their luggage and to fall into the despair or travelers that got lost in unknown cities, unable to find alternative routes, because in panic or pessimist. You don’t have time to be pessimist or you will stay there where you stopped. I wrote about the most important reasons to travel the world and learning to be an optimist is one of them!

One of the most inspiring books I have read about optimism is “Learned Optimism: How to Change your Mind and Your Life” by Martin E. P. Seligan. I recommend it 🙂