by Lenna Gonya

Created on: December 13, 2009

Optimism can be one of the most elusive and fleeting emotions we will ever know. It’s easy to maintain when things are going our way, but much harder to hang onto when everything seems to be against us. The irony is that that moment when it seems impossible to be optimistic, is when we need it most, and, may be the only thing that pulls us through. It is the exact time that we need that “glass half full.”

Optimism is nature’s way of keeping us moving forward.

For most people, the absence of optimism is actually short term. If you think about it, optimism is the only thing that really gets us up and running each day. We may not admit it, but it is optimism that secretly leads us to believe that we can make a difference in our own lives, succeed in something that we have planned, and forge a better future. The long term absence of optimism leads to depression, which leads to mental and physical problems.

If psychologists have any objections to optimism it is that overly optimistic people may become naïve, suggesting that they have somehow lost touch with reality. There may be some truth to that, but compared with the down cast, pessimist, who will not agree to try anything because it will fail, the optimist, naïve or not, still has the better chance in life.

Optimists are generally more cheerful, more interesting, and definitely more fun to be around. They are also contagious, and, their attitude can go a long way to changing the mood of an otherwise bad situation.

According to many medical studies, it can actually be a major help with medical problems, and health concerns. The emotional upbeat attitude that comes with optimism , and the mental state it promotes, can produce certain physical reactions that help the body to heal. Miracles happen to optimists.

Without optimism, we would not try for a better job, marry and have children, get an education, or basically move forward either personally, as a culture, or nation. We must believe that anything is possible, or we would try nothing.

Even those who call themselves diehard pessimists are just optimists who are hoping to be proven wrong.

And, every day we are put to shame by people who had no reason to be optimistic or upbeat, but were.  Helen Keller, who could neither hear or see pointed out that, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
Helen Keller

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