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Tapping the Power of Optimism
A Commentary by Syed Saeed Alam
Before we understand the power of tapping optimism, we first have to understand the power of tapping, a holistic approach to healing that can get to the root of many issues, both physical and mental.
Studies have shown that tapping decreases cortisol, often called the stress hormone. It acts as a maestro, orchestrating a reduction in cortisol levels and promoting a sense of calm.
Similarly, tapping optimism is a hopeful, positive outlook on the future, yourself, and the world around you.
It's a key part of resilience, the inner strength that helps you get through tough times, particularly the present scenario.
Optimism helps you see, feel, and think positively. And it has extra benefits: optimism helps maintain your physical health, too.
You don't have to be a born optimist to use the power of optimism. In daily life, or when faced with a crisis, you can choose a positive viewpoint to make the most of what life brings your way.
Optimism is the driving force behind resilience and achievement. It isn't about ignoring hardships or maintaining blind positivity; rather, it is the fundamental belief that you can navigate through challenges, coupled with the determination to shape a better future.
Can Optimism Be Learned?
Yes, optimism is a skill that can be cultivated over time. By shifting your explanatory style, how you talk to yourself about the events that happen to you, you can break negative thought patterns and focus on actionable solutions.
The Power of Realistic Optimism
Realistic optimism avoids both toxic positivity and pessimistic despair. It involves acknowledging current difficulties while simultaneously identifying your strengths and determining what steps you can take to make things go as well as possible.
How Optimism Works in Times of Crisis
Even if you tend to focus on the negative side of things, realistic optimism can work for you.With realistic optimism, you don't just expect the best and hope that things will go well. Nor do you let yourself see only the worst and expect only the worst. Instead, you look at the big picture, the good and the bad.
You then:
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Decide what is realistic to expect.
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Decide what you can do to make things go as well as possible.
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Choose to focus on the positives and on your strengths as you go forward.
For example, let's say you are about to have an open-heart surgery. You can choose to be optimistic about your recovery, rather than let fear or hopelessness take hold.
Imagine how you want to feel 6 or 12 months after surgery—strong and active. Picture what you want to be doing, how you want to be moving around. Keep these positive, hopeful pictures in your mind.
A positive attitude can also help you maintain a positive mood, which can support healing. But optimism alone is only part of a good recovery. It's also important to know what to do, such as physical therapy exercises, and what to be careful about. And if you need support or advice, you can plan ahead with the right people before the surgery.
When practising optimism, remember to keep a flexible frame of mind. Expect change, and be ready to adjust to it.
How can you Practice Optimism?
Whenever you're having trouble with thinking negative thoughts, expecting the worst, or feeling powerless, try any of these tips for a few days.
Focus on what's going well.
Write down three things that have gone well in the past few days. These can be big things, like getting a raise. Or they can be small, like "I talked with an old friend today."
Describe the cause of each event, and credit yourself for the part you played in it, such as "I made that phone call I've been putting off for a long time."
Practise gratitude
Write down three things in your life that you are grateful for. This kind of focus on what enriches your life can help keep your thoughts and feelings more positive.
Look for the benefits. Think of a negative event from your near or distant past. Write it down. Now, think of something positive that has or could come of it. Write it down. For the positive thought, use larger handwriting or a favourite colour.
Look ahead
Picture yourself doing something that feels good. Expect good things to happen.
Build Yourself Up
When you need it, lean on others or your beliefs to build more strength. Say to yourself often, "I am strong."
Optimism and Hope
As my friend Victor Perton says, hope and optimism belong together. They are related, although they are not identical. Hope is placing our trust in God’s promises. It is not merely wishing that things might improve. It is confidence grounded in a relationship with God and sustained by grace. Hope looks beyond the present difficulty and holds to the deeper assurance that meaning and goodness will ultimately prevail.
Optimism is the belief that good things will happen and that things will work out in the end. It is a state of mind, not a state of the world. It is also a practical discipline. The optimist sees reality clearly, believes improvement is possible, and takes the next wise step.
Hope gives optimism depth, meaning and spiritual assurance. Optimism gives hope energy, courage and practical expression. Together, they help us face reality, keep faith with the future, and act with confidence, kindness and purpose.
The Power of Optimism
Remember, optimism is a powerful, active mindset. While circumstances can make positive feelings feel distant, many people view optimism as a deliberate, renewable choice rather than an innate, unchanging trait.
Maintaining this outlook requires nurturing resilience and adapting to life's shifting realities.
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