How to be an optimist?

Question

I'm a pessimistic person. It's hard for me to see the good in life. I'm also not religious since I don't think there is any higher being out there that will really help people.

How do I become more of an optimist?

Answer 1

Some people feel the dark always; even light seems to be shaded for them. Others, in contrast, can see a bright flash coming out of even the black.
These contrasting attitudes are discovered after a certain stage in life is crossed. it is not since childhood when you just enjoy playing, eating, singing. Also, you are a mascot of love yourself in this age and stage of life.
It is only when experiences begin to pile up that you develop attitude X or attitude Y. When facing consistent failures and constant battering, one is likely to become less confident and more certain about something unfavorable coming his/her way. Now, this could be the beginning of a sad and 'pessimistic' way of looking at things.
People who face bouts of success and accumulate a heavy profile of achievement ride high on the horse of joy and grow into a rolling optimism.
People with a mixed bag of experiences tend to become characterized by something like 'subdued optimism'.
We have surely seen a tribe of people who are super hard, steely in resolve, unshakable in pursuits, and infallible in their standards of actitivy--explorers, adventurists, inventors and even the new age politician. They are never bogged down by pessimism. It may be highly rewardig to read the biographies of these achievers. In your everyday life also, you may have friends and relatives who have achieved and feel joyful about their experiences. Seek their company and get your sadness sucked out. You may build partnerships also in your business, if you are in it. Try not to remain alone in your personal life and seek avenues that provide hopeful interactions and take you high on the scale of personal confidence.

Answer 2

To become an optimist, you have to surrender yourself. Not necessarily to god, or any religion, you can be optimistic without religion. you just have to realize that whater is going to happen, WILL happen, and whatever happened, really just happened.

This sounds wierd, i see that. I think that this is the best of all possible worlds (pangloss basically). I think that because i know that i cannot possibly control everything. i try my hardest, and put out my best effort, but know that in the end it is not in my hands. that doesnt necessarily mean that it is in gods hands, but just that you have to let life unfold and take it striding. I am in the middle of applying to college, and i know that after i put in my whole effort and send in the application, what happens, happens. if i dont get into my dream school, i hope i get into my second choice, rather than wondering why i didnt get in.

once you surrender yourself to the inevitable of certain events and see that bad things arent always the end, and sometimes even better than the alternatives. many people point to bad things, especially hitler, and say, how can you be optimistic about life and see what he did? i thought about it, and what if he was assassinated, and what if his the man who took his place was a shred smarter and decided not to invade russia? then russia wouldnt have won, and whichever nazi it was would have used all of eastern europe to stop the west.

good luck.

Answer 3

Listen. There ISN'T a way to become an optimist. You just either are or you aren't....unless you're just a libertarian. Why would you be an optimist anyway? I'm not very religious either, but I still enjoy a little bit of life.

Answer 4

I'm sorry to tell you this, but in order to be an optimist, you have to BELIEVE in SOMETHING. If not, what is there to look forward to? Until you develop a strong belief system, you will continue to be pessimistic. This is a BIG world. Surely there is something out there, right??

Answer 5

The most important thing is not that being optimist is good and being a pessimist is bad. Thing is that you should be a realist. When you see things as they are it doesn't matter what shade your thoughts have.

Answer 6

I would suggest finding God (as a possibility) or every time you start thinking negatively reverse it. If that doesn't work try joining a self-help group (like a 12-step group) or seek some professional counseling. If you don't care to do anything I am suggest - doesn't matter to me - this isn't my issue - I would just tell you to knock of the stupid thinking. They are just thoughts after all - they are not facts.

Good Luck!!!