When things seem like they’re going wrong, simply thinking
positive won’t do much to change your outlook. Discover the
surprising reality about what really makes your perspective brighter
When life hands
them lemons,
optimists don’t just put
on a happy face. They
feel the pain. They
acknowledge life can
be hard AND move on.
Change expectations
Say your sister always makes an
obnoxious comment... Lose the
burden of expecting her to be
different. Focus on you, which
might involve not reacting to her.102 MARCH/APRIL 2019 diabetic living
OPTIMISTS
SEE ONLY THE
BRIGHT SIDE
Optimists don’t think that
life is all great all the time, or
force themselves to always be
positive. Instead of fighting
negative emotions, optimists
appreciate those feelings for
what they are telegraphing.
“Often, the more
uncomfortable emotions are
signposts to things we care
about,” explains Susan David,
author of Emotional Agility.
Optimists examine their
negative emotional reactions
and think about what steps
they can take to change the
circumstances that lead to
that reaction.
For example, if you’re feeling
negative about the current
political climate, then drill
down to what exactly you’re
reacting to and then get
involved in a group that
supports those issues.PERCEPTION
REALITY
Happy tweaks
Have a worry-later list
When a worry pops into your head,
write it down and set it aside. Clear
15 minutes from your day to go
over the list – when you get around
to it, you may not be as concerned.OPTIMISM
T he truth about