Positive people tend to be happier and live longer—so say recent studies. So what are the characteristics of an optimist? Here are the big four from the January ’13 Bottom Line Health:
1) Proactive. Takes action; gets things done.
2) Persistent. Goal oriented so failure triggers new tries, not giving up.
3) Creative. Tries multiple approaches when one thing fails.
4) Confident. Future is bright; things will work out in the long run.
It goes without saying that optimists tend to focus on the positive things in their lives without dwelling on the negatives.
You can train yourself to be more optimistic—your life may depend on it. According to a ’12 Harvard School of Public Health study, optimistic individuals had up to a 50 percent less risk of having a first heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular health event than their less optimistic peers.
—Steve Holman
You must be logged in to post a comment Login