Statistics show that optimists live an average of 7.5 years longer than pessimists, so you can enjoy your happily ever after longer. The way you perceive life's outcomes will determine your joy or despair, but can you learn the power of positive thinking? I researched and came up with 10 uplifting steps that lead to bliss.
The final step is just as important as the first, COMMIT: Once you decide to change your life stick with it. Realize that optimism is not something that happens overnight, it is your ever after.
After these steps you are ready to fully surrender to yourself, because you are in control. I believe that the key to happiness for ever after lies within your ability to perceive life events through an optimistic view, but with 51% of people being labeled pessimists it's no surprise that most of us need help being optimistic.
The next time you face an unpleasant situation, like a disagreement with your boss, or a fight with your boyfriend and you have pessimistic thoughts, understanding that you are having pessimistic thoughts is the first step in stopping them. The next step is to occupy your mind, busying it will help keep negativity out. Tell yourself that life is not about luck, it is about self attitude.
The world is full of opportunities and endless possibilities and we can achieve almost anything we set our minds to. Yet the only way to make a notion a reality is through action. Take responsibility for yourself. What you are now is not it, you can always improve and continually grow.
How happy are you? Find out, take the test.
1) Each morning means:
a) A fresh start to endless possibilities
b) Another day
c) Dread
2) When was the last time you had a perfect day?
a) A few days ago
b) Last month
c) Can't remember
3) You buy the perfect outfit, it fits great and it happens to be on sale, you are happy with it:
a) Every time you put it on
b) For a couple of days, then toss it in the back of the closet
c) Until you bring it home
4) Your pals set you up on a blind date, you are:
a) Excited, he may be mister right, after all 24% of blind dates end up lasting
b) Expecting the worst, but you never know until you try
c) Regretting the moment you agreed to get hooked up, and dreading every moment of the date, 76% of blind dates are a disaster
5) It's Friday night and your pals invite you to an exclusive V.I.P. party at a new club, but you are totally behind at work and set the weekend aside to catch up, you:
a) Do a bit before you head out and figure if you don't stay out too late you can catch up tomorrow, your work will still be there
b) Agree to go but feel guilty and bail on your friends after an hour
c) Don't even consider it, you stay home and get as much done as you can in a night, who needs fun when there’s so much work to be done?
6) You and your boyfriend have an argument, you:
a) Are upset for a bit but know that it will blow over
b) Are upset all night, and loose some sleep because it's brewing in your head all night
c) Don't forget it for a month and hold a grudge
7) You generally believe that:
a) Things will get better from here; you are in control of your life
b) Your future is uncertain
c) You have bad luck
8) When you are faced with a challenging obstacle you feel:
a) Up for a challenge, and ready to do your best
b) Nervous and unsure of the outcome
c) Helpless and overwhelmed
9) You easily managed to pack on a few pounds over the holidays, you:
a) Get back on track, trying harder this time to keep them off
b) Figure that diet was a waste of time and start researching the latest diet craze
c) Stuff your face, the diet didn't work so you give up
10) How would you describe your friends and family?
a) Happy, when you're down they are there to pick you up
b) Happy sometimes, mad others. You never really know what kind of mood they'll be in
c) Negative. They always have something bad to say about someone or something
You score 3 points for every A you chose, 2 points for every B, and 1 point for every C.
If you scored 25-30 points you are definitely an optimist, way to be!
If you scored 20-25 points you may be a pessimist, refer to the 10 steps to bliss for advice.
If you scored 0-20 points you are a pessimist, but you can learn optimism. Read the 10 steps to bliss and apply them everyday, and smile!
The truth is 43% of marriages end in divorce, 240,000 women will develop cancer in the U.S. alone, and 51% of people are pessimists. Pessimists are paralyzed by these harsh realities, whereas optimists believe that they won't end up as one of those statistics and if they do they feel they are strengthened by their struggles. Pessimists are skeptical about the point of suffering. As it turns out recent studies show that positive thinking can help improve your health.
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