Michael

If all the pessimists of the past had been right in speaking of their society’s running out of creative possibilities, or going to ruin, civilization would indeed have ground to a halt long ago. - Sissela Bok

A positive thinker does not refuse to recognize the negative, he refuses to dwell on it. Positive thinking is a form of thought which habitually looks for the best results from the worst conditions. - Norman Vincent Peale

Sissela Bok makes an excellent point. It’s logical and obviously true. If you are one who tends towards pessimism, maybe this is an idea to help you turn around to start walking towards more optimism. You may find that it’s easier to turn towards optimism than you may realize.

If you look back at your life, did every pessimistic thought come through? When I review my past, it’s clear that many more good things happened than negative. But even if you find more negative than positive it’s okay. You can still focus on the positive aspects and not dwell on the negative.

Turning your focus onto these positive events will help adjust your attitude and expand your world of possibilities. The less we dwell on the negative aspects or events of lives, the more opportunities for happiness will come our way. Sometimes we get stuck in ourselves; i.e. habitually following a train of thought that is not conducive to feeling good. Try to recognize when this happens and make a small shift in your thinking.

Remember you can lead yourself out of misery. It only takes a conscious choice to go that way.

Michael