OPTIMISM, THE HEALTHIEST ATTITUDE

I was yesterday skimming through Brian Tracy's No Excuse: the Power of Self-discipline and I came across a section on "The Five Ps of Excellent Health". I would have just flipped over the page coz I wasn't in a reading mood, but for the last item in the five ps list that caught my attention. It was something i did not expect to find under that subject. The item was "Proper attitude".

I decided this was worth a read. At least some food for thought for the night. It sure did turn out an enriching piece. It dwelt on optimism.


Has it ever occurred to you that optimism is a healthy attitude? Perhaps yes. But did you know that this single act can boost your immune system and in essence prolong life? Well, that is the gist of the whole matter.

Source

In a few words, optimism is positive thinking; a tendency of expecting favourable outcomes even amidst odds. It's a kind of mindset that can be placed on the same scale as regular health habits like adequate rest, regular exercise, good diets, and so forth. Optimism appears the most important attitude upon which our happiness, our physical as well as our emotional health are anchored.


Even our lives are anchored on our mindsets. When we are pessimistic, we tend to fall easily for anything that triggers our emotion; our hearts sadden at the mere thought of obstacles and with this, many attendant adverse impacts that span across our social lives, our successes/achievements, our health, etc.

Optimism on the other hand is crucial to our happiness and our wellbeing (our successes, health, etc). In fact, findings indicate that optimistic individuals enjoy better health than mere average persons. How? Optimism keeps our minds and hearts light such that we are able to efficaciously tackle any rough situation. It helps us overcome frustrations and boosts our immune system thus, keeping our bodies solid to fight against sicknesses. The ultimate outcomes of these put together are enjoyable and healthy lives and longevity. In other words, once we are positive, every aspect of our lives equally become positive. So one might say optimism is a healthy and contagious quality everyone should possess.

Let's do a quick self examination. What's your attitude in times of hardship and doubt? Do you have a tendency to shrink away or do you take the bull by the horn?

Whatever the case, I think it's time we really really step up on our attitudes to enjoy rich and fulfilled lives.


Stay positive...
Stay optimistic...
Stay healthy...
And live long...

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Ref: THE POWER OF SELF-DISCIPPLIINE by Brian Tracy