The power of optimism

When you smile, everything seems better. If that is true, why don't we smile all the time? So many people get caught up in the things they can't control when instead they should be focusing on the things they can control. You can control your thoughts, your feelings, your attitudes and our choices. Every morning you wake up is a good morning. Everything that happens after that makes it a good day or a bad day.  Some things are beyond your control, you can't do anything to help it.  But so many other things are choices. Choose to have good things happen to you and they will. 

Hypochondria is a serious medical condition - the persistent conviction that one is or is likely to become ill, often involving symptoms when illness is neither present nor likely, and persisting despite reassurance and medical evidence to the contrary. Is it possible to have hypochondria of the soul? If you believe everyday that bad things will happen, and they come true, do you have the power to see your mistake and change your thinking? This is a self -fulfilling prophecy, and as such, has the power to be turned to good. 

It is almost a cliche to say, change your thoughts, change your attitude. I hate to repeat and regurgitate old ideals, but there is so much truth to be found in these simple words. Change your thoughts and you will change your life.  Wake up in the morning and tell yourself you look great.  You will leave the house feeling great and you will see great things happen to you. Tell yourself that you are a fair and loving parent, and you will be a fair and loving parent.  Tell yourself that you are succeeding in your job and you will succeed in your job.

Your brain is a 'yes man.' it will agree with everything you tell it, and it will find ways to prove it to you. If you tell it that its going to be a fabulous day, it will agree with you and start looking for ways to show you that it is a fabulous day. 

Every morning my boss asks me "How are you!?"

My reply is the same every morning. "I am always good!"

A co-worker overheard the daily greeting one morning turned to me and asked, "Really? Always?"

"Yes," I replied, "because I choose to be."

It is really as simple as that.  Granted, you cannot change your thinking overnight like a light switch, but you can give your brain something good to focus on everyday, and it will agree with you.

One morning I woke up late, spilled my coffee, missed the bus, had to wait outside in the cold. I miserable and grumpy and wished I could've just stayed in my bed. I got to work and without fail, I passed my boss's office,

"How are you?" he called out. 

I was met with a choice. I could have dragged him into an intense conversation about all the bad things that happened this morning. I could have fed my negativity, dragging not only myself into a deeper pit of unhappiness, but also tainting his day with my unpleasantness. Instead I put a silly grin on my face and said,

"I am always good"

Not only did I immediately feel better about the day, I also brought a grin to his face. I chose to see the good and helped not only myself, but him as well. If I had known that my one phrase had brightened his day, why would I have chose to deny him that pleasure? Maybe he was also having a bad morning, and my smile helped him change his own thoughts. 

You choose to have good day. You choose to see the best. You choose to invite good karma into your life. Just as easily you choose to be unhappy. You choose to see the bad. You choose to let negativity run your life. 

But if you can choose to be happy, why wouldn't you?