Last update: February 16, 2020
Optimistic people manage to generate a deep sense of well-being in themselves and those around them. They are able to see the bright side of situations instead of being trapped in malaise. They have chosen to face life by waving the flag of optimism and to evaluate each circumstance from a positive perspective. Because the truth is that, even if there are some personality traits that favor it, optimism is a choice closely related to personal reflection and exercise.
Each person, in fact, consciously or unconsciously decides which is the perspective from which he wants to look at life. This choice largely depends on one's personal and relational experiences and on some traits of one's personality, but very often it also derives from habit or lack of reflection. It is always easier to imitate what we see around us than to build a personal point of view.
"Life has its dark side and its bright side: it's up to us to decide which one we like best."
-Samuel Smiles-
To be optimistic, you don't necessarily have to believe that life is all roses, have had a fairytale childhood or live in wonderful conditions. Always looking for the best in oneself, in others and in the situations we live in is primarily a life choice. Optimistic people are not uninformed people, on the contrary: they are people who have chosen to focus mainly on the positive aspects.
Faced with life, being pessimistic is much easier. It is an objective fact that no one can escape pain and frustration, but continuing to underline it only justifies a passive and conformist attitude. Optimistic people, on the other hand, accept the challenge of acting, growing and improving. In today's article we want to talk about some traits that characterize them.
1. Optimistic people fight for what they want
The mere fact of striving for a goal fills any person with vitality. On the contrary, those who have not understood what their dreams and desires are tends to see life in a darker way. If there is one thing capable of giving us optimism it is the ability to set goals and to work hard to achieve them.
Optimistic people are also realistic. This means that they are not aiming for goals that are beyond their capabilities or capabilities. The truth is that not all goals are achievable and choosing an unattainable goal fuels our frustration. It is one thing to aim high, another very different thing is to try to achieve something impossible.
2. Where other people see failure, they see a life lesson
Optimistic people believe that nothing is a "failure". They know that there are mistakes, mistakes, unsuccessful challenges and unsuccessful goals. But none of these situations represent a failure as such for them. What makes them optimistic is precisely the ability to see the positive side of situations, the other side of the coin.
There is no great achievement of the human being that has not been preceded by difficulties and errors. A great result is built on the basis of corrected errors, filled gaps and filled gaps. Each mistake corresponds to a life lesson. And every life lesson leads to growth. Optimistic people know that the only real failure is to stop trying.
3. They are honest with themselves
Being honest with yourself means giving up excuses and excuses. It is an attitude that requires great courage, because it does not allow us to hide and obliges us to look life in the face. Furthermore, it requires a deep sincerity towards ourselves.
Optimistic people are not afraid to admit their mistakes: on the contrary, they are willing to acknowledge them. They avoid blaming others for their mistakes and have enough self-confidence to accept that they are not always right. This attitude does not diminish them, it makes them stronger, because they know that recognizing their mistakes is the first step to improve.
4. They never make comparisons with others
Continuing to compare yourself to others has only two consequences: it distorts our thoughts and poisons our hearts. We are all different and, therefore, incomparable. There is no way to measure who is better or worse in human terms. An inmate may be a better person than a manager, but less good at achieving their goals. There is no objective way to measure it.
Genuine optimism is based precisely on the understanding of this truth. No one is "more" or "less" than someone else, because in the human sphere any comparison is completely arbitrary. Those who constantly measure themselves against others do so for lack of autonomy and independence. Only we ourselves know if we are living as we want and as we should. Others may agree with us or not, but it doesn't really matter.
5. Optimistic people are self-motivated
“Motivation” is equivalent to “getting moving”, and doing it despite the obstacles. It means giving yourself the push to move forward, to pursue a purpose or goal. Optimistic people know that the strength that keeps them active and ready to fight comes mostly from within them. And this comes from the fact that we cannot do things because others push us to do them, but because we ourselves are convinced of them.
A person is able to motivate himself when he can find and feed on the reasons why he does what he does. Conviction gives us the strength to move forward. If we are sure that the reasons for following that path are profoundly valid, we can move forward without giving too much weight to the difficulties we encounter along our path. An optimist is, therefore, a person who is convinced of what he does.
6. They accept others for who they are
We often treat others in a very similar way to the way we treat ourselves. When a person knows how to accept himself, he also finds it easy to accept others. Conversely, if it is difficult for her to value herself or if she does not have sufficient self-love, it is common for her to project this conflict onto others as well. It is at that point that the people around him become the object of constant criticism.
To be optimistic, you need to have a good view of yourself. This does not mean becoming an egolatra, but being aware of one's worth. For this reason, it is easier for optimistic people to accept and value others. They know that all human beings are part of the same common history, and that each of us has our own role and meaning within this human adventure. Furthermore, they do not forget that solidarity helps us to observe the present with greater confidence.
7. They cultivate themselves
Nobody can be really optimistic if they don't work on themselves. This implies knowing each other, forgiving oneself for one's mistakes and giving one's successes the value they deserve. Each of us is the work of his own work. Striving to improve that work and feeling proud of one's progress translates into greater optimism in the face of life.
