Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you see the glass as half-full or half-empty? In other words, are you a happy person or are you always feeling sad, especially as you grow older?

Look at children. A child lives in a world of rising expectations, always happy, always looking forward to life’s next adventure. As we grow older, we associate optimism as a disconnection from reality. Some of us focus only on the negatives. Some lead isolated lives, locked up in the house, with no family or friends and no one to talk to, hence no mental stimulation.

The key word here is, mental-stimulation. Keep doing what you have always enjoyed doing, no matter what your age. Busybodies will keep asking you, “Are you STILL painting?” or “Are you STILL running?” or ” Are you STILL writing?”  This STILL- syndrome is a negative stereotype of aging. Your answer should be, “Yes!! I am STILL happy; I STILL love life. Yes!! I am very much alive!” This answer rejuvenates your optimism so that no matter what your age, you still live in a world of happy expectations like a child.

Optimism is crucial to life and living. It’s not an optional trait. It’s as natural to us as the air we breathe. Unfortunately, as we get older, life makes us weary and wary because old age CAN and DOES bring along lots of physical and emotional problems. So what? If you are determined to see the silver-lining around every cloud and the goodness in things, no one can stop you! Not even friends who give you unsolicited advice to ‘ACT YOUR AGE’!

No doubt, optimistic people are happier, so you may assume that optimism involves simply saying happy things and wearing a happy smile, no matter how you really feel. That’s impossible because life throws lots of challenges and circumstances which make us cry. But then, solve the problem or put it behind you and get on with your life.

Having relationships, meeting friends, making new friends, are all acts of optimism because it’s an exchange of loving energies which uplift your mood. In fact, relationships at any level make you exchange your ideas, learn, wish, demand, dream, exchange stories and share experiences. If you can’t do that with another human being, you’ll suffocate and get mentally-stunted.

Optimism is not about putting on a smile on your face when you are feeling rotten inside. Optimism is not a superficial paint-job. You actually have to believe implicitly that tomorrow will be better than today, that good people and good circumstances WILL come to you. When you believe in this, you are feeding this idea to your brain, and setting good-times into motion with your positive thoughts. But only YOU can do this for yourself. If you are set in your pessimism and negative thinking, waiting for the sky to fall and the rent to rise, then the sky may not fall, but the rent will definitely rise. If you expect disappointment or betrayal, be sure that you’ll be disappointed and betrayed. Do you really want to live like that?

Why not look at the brighter side of life since optimism fuels health, vitality, a sense of humour, spontaneity, hope, and even longevity. Optimists tend to live longer than pessimists. More importantly, they tend to live better and even their ageing process is slower as their happiness grows.

Can you learn or cultivate optimism? Recent breakthroughs in psychology, neurology and brain-chemistry say, YES! It can be learnt by replacing a fearful thought with a pleasant thought. Of course, life cannot be without problems. Optimism cannot prevent death, divorce, loss or injury or sickness. All the same, it can’t help you to win the lottery! But we are certainly better off if we aim for happy things from moment to moment and anticipate small time pleasures, like reading a good book, writing a good article, seeing a good movie or meeting a good friend. Even a good cup of coffee is happiness. Looking forward to anything that uplifts your mood is optimism.

While you can’t make winning a lottery happen, you can definitely adjust your attitude to life and look at the wealth of experiences, friends, family and the good health that you DO have, instead of worrying about future set-backs which may never happen.

Search actively for optimistic things in newspapers, on T.V., on your choice of films and songs and particularly in the company you keep. Sad, complaining, whining people will depress you with their pessimistic talk. Be with people who can laugh and make you laugh. Better still, be the person who makes others laugh.

Always believe that tomorrow will be better than today and the best is yet to be. Once you make optimism part of your everyday life, you’ll wonder how you ever got through life without it. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create that fact! So keep your chin up – both of them!