by Danna Martínez
There are days when we see situations from their most negative side. Feelings are generated that cause stress, in some cases sadness and even anger. On the contrary, there are also days when we tend to see things from their more favorable side. This trend is known as optimism.
The term optimism comes from the Latin “optimum.” This word refers to “the best.” The word optimism was coined by the German philosopher Leibniz. However, it was popularized by Voltaire, philosopher, and writer, in his work “Candide ou l’Optimisme.”
Optimism is considered an attitude of someone towards another person, thing, or situation. The belief or hope that something will work out is an improvement in the way people act.
The perspective, the way of thinking, and seeing things lead the mental attitudes. Optimism is an attitude of mind. Being optimistic can be considered a choice. By deciding to face day-to-day circumstances and adversities positively, we are adopting an upbeat attitude.
Mental attitude plays an essential role in the way we live our life. The power of our mind can be greater than our physical power. We could not face a challenge without first believing and trusting that we can face it; Even if we have the physical capabilities to deal with it.
Seeing the bright side of things does not necessarily suggest believing in an ideal or perfect world. An optimistic person looks for the favorable aspects of a situation while remaining realistic about what he can and cannot achieve.
Optimistic people are confident that their abilities can make things go well. As expected, things don’t always work out. When something does not go well, the human being tends to despair and act negatively about it. However, in the case of an optimist, the reaction may vary. Instead of involving negative energies in an already pessimistic scenario, the optimist looks for ways to improve the situation.
The tendency to see and judge things from a positive perspective enables people to face different obstacles with courage, encouragement, and confidence.
Optimism does not ignore stressful or difficult experiences in life. Instead, encountering obstacles or challenges along the way, the optimist looks for ways to turn them into opportunities to learn and advance. In some cases, the obstacles are seen as something purely temporary.
The doctrine of optimism disposes of the subject to hope for the best in all respects. Optimism is the opposite current to pessimism.
In many cases, optimism resolves conflicts or avoids having them. Optimism has been shown to favor conflict resolution between people, guiding them to choose a fair and effective solution to the problem.
A representative characteristic of optimistic people is that they are persistent and motivated. Overcoming a challenge, no matter how small, can fuel a person’s motivation. When challenges seem impossible, it is the attitude that influences people to want to face them. In the same way, it is the attitude that helps them overcome them.
The positive change in our thoughts helps us reduce stress and worry. It also presents a constructive perspective, in which we generate the ability to retain input and continually improve.
“Life is like a mirror: it smiles at you if you look at it smiling.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” -Winston Churchill.
“Despite everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” –Anna Frank.
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