An optimist is a person who generally believes that life on earth, people and events are inherently good, so that most situations work out in the end for the best.

My entire life I’ve been told that I am positive and optimistic. I agree I am, but it’s not without effort, conscious choice and lots of letting go. I understand quite well that life is full of challenges but I believe there is a learning experience within each challenge and always good things to take away. I feel that practicing optimism has allowed me to view life in a more balanced manner.

Here are some of the facts, benefits and bonuses I found online regarding optimism:

– Optimists have superior health
in a study of 99 Harvard University students, those who were optimists at age 25 were significantly healthier at ages 45 and 60 than those who were pessimists.

-Optimistic athletes have greater achievement
In a study of competitive swimmers it was found that pessimistic swimmers who were never satisfied with their times, always thinking they should have done better were prone to future poor performance. Optimistic swimmers didn’t have this vulnerability.

– Optimists experience less stress because they believe in themselves and expect good things to happen

– Optimists do not give up as easy as pessimists therefore are more likely to be successful

– Optimists live longer
A study of heart health showed that the heart of an optimist stays healthy longer than those of pessimists.

Practice optimism right now. Here’s a good article to get you started – READ ARTICLE