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Optimism makes you younger
Someone told me that life would be much sweeter if they attained a positive attitude. Having a positive attitude never means paying a blind eye to the negative and recognise only the positive; it simply means taking all situations (both positive and negative) in the most positive way. You are likely to have a younger and healthier mind if choose to have a positive attitude.
The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is that the latter’s mind grows younger while the former’s heart grows older. It doesn’t pay to think negatively, always accumulating worries to yourself. In fact the world does not need stress. That’s why you are advised to keep your worries to yourself and share your courage with others.
I’m too optimistic to the point that sometimes I end up worrying about my optimism. When life hands me a lemon I immediately turn it into lemonade which is a very sweet juice. People with positive attitude will surprise you when they welcome problems. To them problems are viewed as challenges that are likely to bring opportunities.
A friend once came to me lamenting with grief that his long time girl friend had left him for another man. I did not hesitate to ask him to pop champagne and celebrate this victory. I went ahead to tell him that the going of such a pretender had been long overdue. When someone walks out of your life simply celebrate because that is a litmus test that proves that such a person wasn’t meant for you. In fact he/she has saved you from wasting more time and other resources on him/her.
Your optimism should go a long way to determine even the words you use in daily conversations. When I interacted with A-level students of a certain school, I advised them to stop using negative statements like ‘I failed General Paper’. They would rather say ‘I missed a point in General Paper’. Missed is not as negative as failed. And if you missed today then chances are high that next time you won’t especially if you change strategy.
I admire the optimism exhibited when people write their biographies. Instead of saying that ‘I grew up in a poor family’ someone says ‘I come from a humble background’. Rich people also beg just like the poor but the difference is that they don’t call it ‘begging’; they call it ‘fundraising’. In fact they have even made begging, I mean fundraising, a profession.
People’s heights can be generally summarised as short, medium height or tall. It is rude to call someone short. Instead of saying ‘Alex is short’ better say ‘Alex is vertically challenged’. It is still in line with optimism. People should not be branded dull students on ground that they don’t get good marks in class; it is better to say that the students are academically challenged. Let’s go positive.