I’m a Hyper-Optimist

I admit it. I’m an optimist at heart.  No matter how bad something is, I can usually find some good to come out of it. In fact, I once joked with a friend that the glass isn’t just half full but that you get “half a cup of air, too!” She rolled her eyes but smiled at my enthusiasm.  I call it being a hyper-optimist.

Now, you have to be careful to not let yourself fall into a delusional state or to deny reality. Not every day is going to be a great day. I’ve lost people I love, seen friends and family beset by tragedies and can watch the news to get a steady stream of depression pretty much 24/7. However, in every case – and sometimes with a little distance and perspective – I have always found that good can come from bad… but you need to look for and be open to it.

I think the lesson here comes from how we choose to view our world. The old adage wisely states that you cannot always control what happens but you can control how you react. I believe that if you deliberately look for the positive around you, you will find it… if only because you’ve told yourself to look.

Imagine that two people are walking along a beach. One is distracted, caught up in their own thoughts and not paying attention to where they’re going. The other, however, is eagerly scanning the sand all around them as they purposefully walk across the beach. Who’s more likely to find the really cool looking sea shell? While they both just might, the person who is actively looking is far more likely to be successful. The same is true with the positive around us. What we focus on tends to be what we see.

“But I’m not like that,” you might think. OK. That’s fair but don’t let it be an excuse. Like any change in our lives, it starts with awareness then a desire to change and finally a way to reinforce the change once you’ve made it. If you already want to be more optimistic and positive, then you’re already two-thirds of the way to your goal. You just need a way to remind yourself to practice your change in perspective. It could be the proverbial string on your finger or a note taped to your monitor. You can set up a daily task in your to do list or an automated email to your inbox to remind yourself to stop and look around for the positive. Just think of something that you will notice and which will remind you of what to do.

But why would you want to be a hyper-optimist? Well, I’m admittedly biased but I find it to be a pretty great state of mind. I don’t get hung up on daily annoyances and I find myself appreciating the people and things around me more. At work, hyper-optimism often translates to my overcoming obstacles (granted, sometimes in very unexpected ways)… but I am always confident that there is a way forward.

In short, an optimistic – or hyper-optimistic – outlook on life tends to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I invite you to give it a try and see if you like the results.

I’m pulling for you!