In the United States, the month of March is celebrated as National Optimism Month. This means that negative thoughts are not allowed. You are expected to keep a good attitude during this month, spreading those positive vibes around!
This month could be a time for all of us to get rid of negative or intruding thoughts.
Some people believe optimism is an outlook on life that maintains that the world is a positive place in general. Optimism strongly correlates with high self esteem (not to the point of conceit), psychological well-being and a better immune system functioning.
There is much to be optimistic about in March. Yes, there will be cold weather still but there will also be the first day of spring, shrubs and trees starting to blossom, summer birds returning, gardens to get ready, the promenades to look forward to, walking with the children, sweethearts sitting in the parks and whispering sweet nothings and longer days in which to work and play and give quality time to each other, especially parents.
Optimism takes work. Being pessimistic means you are stuck in identifying the problems over and over again. Being optimistic means you have to move forward and do something about it.
This is good advice for both adults and students. It is so easy to get discouraged or even angry during difficult times. Why not try a different approach and see the benefits of being even a little bit more optimistic?
Optimists generally believe that people and events are inherently good, so that most situations will eventually work out in the end for the best of everyone, if effort is added, that is!
They do not just go around smiling all the time. They get mad at times, too. However, they don’t get stuck in their emotions and they have been found to be better at doing one thing than those with a different attitude or outlook on life.
Optimists are also better at problem solving. They move quickly from problem identification to problem solving.
They believe that situations will work out, so they spend their time and energy on making these situations work, rather than focusing on their own emotional reactions or keep looking back at what they lost, instead of looking forward with a clear vision towards a positive and better future with willingness in their hearts to improve and become better persons practising Christian values and priorities.
Winston Churchill summed it up when he said: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity... while an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
Why not live through this month as an optimist, opting to see the glass half full and see what positive changes may come to you as a result of your new direction in the right direction?