Do you know someone who is a delight to be around? You know what I mean. Someone who can brighten a room just by entering it. When you think about people like that, there’s a good chance they share at least one important quality. That quality is optimism.
I think most of us have a general sense of what optimism means, but I decided to look it up just to be sure. The dictionary defines optimism as “the tendency to believe, expect, or hope that things will turn out well.” It is also described as a positive or confident attitude, as well as a broader belief that things can improve and that good ultimately prevails.
Some people seem naturally inclined toward an optimistic outlook on life. I believe, however, that optimism is not just a personality trait reserved for a lucky few. It is something that can be developed by anyone with the right effort and intention.
Dr. Martin Seligman, author of Learned Helplessness and Learned Optimism and founder of Positive Psychology (www.authentichappiness.com), has spent decades studying this very idea. According to his research, people can change how they interpret and respond to life’s challenges. In other words, optimism can be learned.
That matters because difficulties are unavoidable. We all face setbacks, disappointments, and circumstances beyond our control. What we often can control, however, is how we respond to those difficulties and the meaning and significance we assign to them.
At times, we can slip into a victim or spectator mindset. Life feels like something that just happens to us, and our focus naturally drifts toward what’s wrong rather than what’s working. This isn’t a pitch for a quick fix or a magic solution. There’s no overnight cure for discouraging circumstances. It is, however, an invitation to pause and take an honest look at your overall outlook as one year ends and another begins. Are your assumptions and expectations serving you well?
According to the Institute for Health and Human Potential, optimists tend to explain setbacks differently than pessimists. They are more likely to see problems as temporary, limited, and not a personal indictment. Research also shows that optimists tend to set higher goals and stick with them, experience greater inner security, and enjoy better health with fewer days missed from work.
One benefit I would add is that optimism tends to strengthen relationships. Most of us would rather spend time with someone who lifts the emotional temperature of a room than someone whose departure brings relief.
And if you are reading this, you probably have reasons for optimism, even if they are easy to overlook. You live in a country with extraordinary freedoms. You are alive, capable of learning, and able to grow. Chances are, you have people in your life who care about you and whose presence matters more than you sometimes realize.
As a new year begins, it may be worth taking stock, not just of goals and plans, but of perspective. Optimism doesn’t deny reality. It chooses how to engage it. It shows up in how we interpret setbacks, how we treat the people closest to us, and how we carry ourselves into each day. The encouraging truth is that optimism can be practiced and strengthened over time. And when it is, it doesn’t just change our own experience of life. It quietly improves the lives of everyone who shares a room with us.
Ron Price, who has a master’s degree in counseling from the University of New Mexico, is author of the “Play Nice in Your Sandbox” book series and creator of the CPR Mastery video course. He is available for workshops and staff training. Contact Ron at ron@ronprice.com and (505) 324-6328. Learn more at ronprice.com.
