University of Pittsburgh Shows It Pays To Be An Optimist

University of Pittsburgh researcher, Hilary Tindle, surveyed 100,000 women and then tracked their lives and health for eight years. The study group were all women ages 50 – 79, but let's extrapolate to make some general statements.

When asked, "In unclear times, I usually expect the best," people answering "yes" were classified as optimists. Those who answered "If something can go wrong for me, it will," as a "yes," they were classified as pessimists.

And truly, the "best" doesn't always happen and neither does something go "wrong" just because we think it might, but notice that both of these reflect the outlook people have on their lives. These are INNER THOUGHTS expressed in the form of answers to questionnaires.

All the women were healthy when the study began.

Interesting Results Based On Someone's Outlook On Life

After 8 years, the most optimistic women were

• 9% less likely to have developed heart disease
• 30% less likely to have DIED from heart disease
• 14% less likely to have dies from ANYTHING

After 8 years, those who scored highest in "cynical hostility" were at an even greater risk of dying.

Ms. Tindle told CNN.com: "When you look at all the risks, pessimists had everything in the WRONG direction."

She then thought out loud: "The question is, can we take these ingrained attitudes and teach that individual to modify them?"

How do YOU feel about this? I say YES… we can teach people to think more optimistically… but do some of them really want to LEARN?

How Do YOU Look At Life's Ups And Downs?

If you look on the bright side of life, your life will be brighter.

I'm not talking about just wishing for good things, I mean the deep down inside you when you think good thoughts, you life will improve.

When it rains, what do you say?

"What lousy weather it is."

OR…

"We need to rain for things to grow, so even though it's dark outside and I'll get wet when running my errands, we do need the rain."

A recent study at the University of Pittsburgh showed that those who are optimistic live longer than those who are pessimistic.

But we KNEW that, right?

So how do YOU think? And what can you do to be sure you think optimistically?

Gratitude Journal Keeps My Thoughts In The Right Place

Right before I go to bed, I write in my gratitude journal.

Some days I have TONS of things to write and some days I struggle to get all 5 that I write each night.

Some days have been like that: routine, hard work writing at the computer, lots of time exploring my own thoughts without sharing much time with others.

And some days I'm out among loving, caring people and I overflow with thoughts about how grateful I am for life.

But we each need to remember that it's the small things that add up to MAKE our lives.

My Kids Tease My About My Calendar

I also keep special, recurring notes in my electronic calendar… times when Liz auditioned for a show, when Stacie started a new job (most recently at City Year – a GREAT national organization based in Boston – City Year – Learn More By Clicking Here!), when Pam had a happy time at work or with our family, and then lots of small moments for me and friends – anniversaries, when children were born, when I photographed weddings, bar mitzvahs, or opened one of the many theater productions I've directed over the years.

OK… so I have a few things like when we received a cat, the birthday of our dog, etc. (My kids say I have things like when our dog first pooped or our cat first hid under the sofa – not quite, but amusing to look at life like that).

It never ceases to amaze me how QUICKLY time has passed from one year to the next to five years to ten years. And without this calendar, I would forget those special moments and be able to relive the happiness they brought me.

We really CAN control our own moods, our thoughts, how we see the world, and it's vital to our health that we do that.

Liz Teaches Me A Lesson About Our Moods When We Wake Up

I've known for a long time that when I go to bed happy, I wake up happy.

I saw this first-hand when my younger daughter, Liz, needed some oral surgery… even the doctor told us this: however she is feeling when the anesthetic puts her to sleep, that's how she'll wake up.

Liz was REALLY nervous about having surgery under her tongue, and wouldn't you be too? She's a singer and if whatever her problem was caused too much damage in her mouth, taking it out MIGHT affect her vocal chords and her singing. (If you've heard her singing, you'll know that the surgery came out OK – Hear Liz Seymour Sing On Her New CD – Click Here!)

Liz's nervousness turned into tears as she was put under, and when she awoke with the ranula removed, she was VERY upset and in tears.

There is a life lesson here – how we go to sleep affects how we wake up. And how we wake up affects how our day goes.

"As goes the first hour of the day, so goes the day," a marketing guru friend of mine used to preach.

Wake Up Happy, Refreshed, Grateful

Wake up happy, refreshed, grateful for what you have and you jump out of bed and into your work.

Go to bed angry, upset, down on yourself, and you'll struggle to take any positive action during the next day.

What way to YOU want to approach the world, get things done, find your dream and pursue it? Make sure you have positive thoughts, attitudes, lessons all around you. Those alone can't create the success you're looking for, but without them, you'll be mired in self-pity and stuck in the mud on the road to success.

To learn more, stay in touch with my blog – I'll keep you informed so that YOU won't have to do the heavy lifting. Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog – Click HERE To See More!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: You can find me here:

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PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

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Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and direct-response marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at http://bit.ly/24eYTO to learn more about his successes.

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Lessons for Life – Optimists Live Longer Than Pessimists

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