Optimism - making the most of a nicer view!

RocheMartin defines Emotional Intelligence by a set of 10 competencies and this is one in a series of blogs covering each one: Why develop Optimism, what is it exactly and how can you develop it?

Why develop Optimism?

…because...compared to pessimists...

Optimists have a nicer view, which leads to an easier more enjoyable time and more successful outcomes across all areas of life!

Why?...well, because of the way our minds work, we get what we focus on, and...

Optimists are focused on the positive

• Being focused on the good stuff, they tend to look for, be alert to, and then act on opportunities, expecting the best outcome.

• At least some of their actions are likely to pay off, which reinforces their positive view.

• And being focused on the positive things, they are likely to sweep aside the things that didn’t work out.

Pessimists are focused on the negative

• Being focused on the negative, they may not see, or they may discount opportunities because they expect the worst.

• They are less likely to take committed action (why bother when it’s not going to work).

• This leaves them with fewer opportunities for success which reinforces and fuels their negative view of the world.

Both types perceive what they already believe, which impacts how they behave and the results they get. They end up getting what they were focused on.

And you don't have to dig very deep into any work on positive psychology to discover that optimists (compared to pessimists)

• are happier, healthier and live longer,

• are better protected against depression,

• are nice to be around a