Be Optimistic

"An optimist is the human personification of spring." ~Susan J. Bissonette

I'm a pessimist. But not really. I mean, I was born with natural tendencies to
be pessimistic. If I don't work at it, I fall back into that rut of looking at the world in a negative way. However, I am living proof that optimism can be a learned trait. I've learned to be optimistic. It requires a daily focus on the positive things in life, which is part of the reason why I started blogging. As I think about what to put out here, I'm focusing on things that make me happy. Here are some of the ways to practice being optimistic:

1) Smile. Even when you're not in the mood. Someone will smile back, and it helps, I swear. The other way to think about it is: Act as if. If you act like you're happy, soon you'll realize that you are happy.
2) Take credit. When something goes well, don't think "I just got lucky". Take credit for the things that are going well in your life. You made it happen.
3) Don't compare. Don't read fashion (most women's) magazines. It's just too easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to people. People who you think are skinnier, or prettier, or richer, or more creative, or... Instead, focus on how fantastically wonderful you are. Because you are.
4) Give yourself a break. Every now and then, I just need to be crabby. I can't help it. It takes energy to do all the above things, and sometimes I need a break. So if you fall into that pessimistic black hole, you can have a beer and hang out for a bit, as long as you know how to get back out.