“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A 'you can do it' when things are tough”.



Richard M. DeVos

I have been asked, “You’ve had some terriblethings happen to you over the years, but you’re still so positive. How do you do it?”

Let me tell you it is a journey and it is all about incremental self-improvement.

It’s called “Faith”!

My life had been rough at times. I had gotten divorced, been a single parent, battled alcohol and drug issues, and dropped out of college. I could have been angry and bitter, I was for a while. Loneliness is hard. I always knew deep down that staying positive and optimistic would be the golden ticket. That I could attract the right kind of situations and people into my world by focusing on fixing me and not the world.

Now I wake up looking forward to each new day and the possibilities ahead of me. Starting the day with a grateful heart works, it jumpstarts the optimism muscle.

Optimism comes from the Latin word optimus, meaning "best," which describes how an optimistic person is always looking for the best in any situation and expecting good things to happen. Optimism is the tendency to believe, to expect things will turn out well.

Articles I have read and interviews I have done reinforce that a positive outlook on life can certainly fortify the immune system (and the body's defenses against illness), cardiovascular system (optimists have fewer heart attacks), and the body's ability to handle stress. The developing arena of positive psychology studies the helpful impact that optimism has on mental health. Optimism is good for physical health too—optimists are sick less and live longer than pessimists.

Do these-

• Believe in the good things in life.
• Believe in being thankful for what we do have, not what we don’t
• Believe in faith, that nothing can hold you back from achieving success and reaching your goals.
• Read Dr. Martin Seligma