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Think Like an Optimist: The Daily Practice of Looking for Possibility
Think Like an Optimist
A commentary by Victor Perton
Optimism is a belief that good things will happen and that things will work out in the end.
To think like an optimist is to practise that belief in daily life.
It is a way of paying attention, interpreting events and choosing the next wise step.
Some people seem naturally optimistic. They wake with an easy expectation that the day will go well. Others have to work at it. I do. Most of us do.
The good news from the research, and from years of asking people “What makes you optimistic?”, is that people can strengthen optimism through practice.
Natalie Dattilo put it well: “We have a choice in how we think about any situation we face. Even if you weren’t born an optimist, you can still learn to think like one.”
That is the invitation of this post: think like an optimist, practise the habits of an optimist, and live the life of an optimist.
Thinking like an optimist begins with attention.
What do you look for when you enter a room, begin a conversation, open the news, walk down the street, or look in the mirror?
Optimists look for what is working, who is helping, what remains possible, and where the next wise step may be found.
One of my favourite questions is:
“What’s been the best thing in your day?”
It changes the conversation. It invites people to notice a good moment. It may be a child’s laugh, a small win at work, a good coffee, a message from a friend, a walk in the sunshine, or simply the relief of getting through a hard morning.
The answer does not have to be grand. Often the small answer is the most human.
That is one of the habits of optimism: noticing the good that is already present.
Thinking like an optimist also means interpreting events with agency.
When something goes wrong, what story do you tell yourself?
Do you make the problem permanent, personal and all-consuming?
Or do you look at it carefully and ask:
“What else could be true?”
“What can I learn?”
“Who can help?”
“What is Plan B?”
“What is Plan C?”
Optimists face difficulty with a practical mind. They grieve real losses. They accept that some burdens must be carried. They look for resources, companions, treatment, support, information, options and next steps.
The psychologist Irma Johnston used the lovely phrase “pockets of time when something good happens.”
Those pockets matter. They can steady us in hard times.
A smile, a kindness, a practical resource, a call from a friend, a moment of beauty, a Plan B, or a small act of courage can help people keep walking.
A burden in the backpack is still a burden. The habit of optimism helps people keep walking, notice beauty on the path, and find companions for the journey.
Thinking like an optimist then becomes action.
Optimists act.
They do not wait for the whole future to become clear. They take the next wise step.
That may mean making the call, writing the note, asking for help, thanking someone, going for a walk, beginning again, learning something new, or asking another person the most powerful question I know:
“What makes you optimistic?”
When I ask that question, people come alive.
They talk about family, faith, work, gardens, children, science, music, friendship, service, country, nature, technology, community, love, and the courage of other people.
The research increasingly supports what many of us learn through living.
Gratitude practices can lift mood and, in some settings, increase optimism and life satisfaction.
Small social interactions, including brief exchanges with acquaintances and strangers, can strengthen happiness and belonging.
Smiling can lift mood and signal welcome, recognition and safety.
Future imagination exercises, such as writing about your best possible self, can help people build hope, agency and wellbeing.
Studies on optimism and life satisfaction suggest that people make optimism practical through gratitude, grit, meaning, positive emotion and useful action.
In plain English: we become more optimistic when we practise seeing possibility, appreciating what is good, connecting with others, imagining a better future, and taking useful action.
Here are some habits to try.
Smile and say hello.
Start your day with a genuine smile. Say hello to the people you pass. A warm greeting is a small act of social repair. It says, “I see you.” It reminds both people that connection is available.
Ask a better question.
Instead of asking “How are you?”, try “What’s been the best thing in your day?” or “What makes you optimistic?” Better questions open better conversations.
Notice what is working.
In any situation, ask: What is already good? Who is helping? What strengths are present? What can we build on?
Practise gratitude.
Write down three things you are grateful for. Thank someone properly. Notice what you would miss if it disappeared.
Look for Plan B
When Plan A fails, life is not over. Optimists look for the next possible path. A different plan can still lead to a good life.
Spend time with optimists
Some people leave us stronger, lighter and more ready to act. Spend more time with them. Be that person for others.
Imagine your best possible self
Picture a future in which you have worked toward what matters and things have gone well. Write it down. Make it specific. Then ask, “What is one step I can take today?”
Use the language of optimism.
Words shape attention. Speak in ways that keep agency alive:
“What can we do next?”
“What have we learned?”
“Who can help?”
“What is still possible?”
Reduce exposure to needless pessimism.
Be informed without being overwhelmed. Choose your news diet carefully. Make room for stories of courage, progress, invention, kindness and repair.
Do someone else a favour: Kindness
Kindness is a powerful optimism practice. It reminds us that we are useful. It tells another person they matter.
Go somewhere beautiful.
Nature, gardens, beaches, trees, rivers, music, art, colour and light can widen the mind. Beauty helps us breathe again.
Take the next wise step.
Optimism becomes real when it moves through our hands, feet, voice and calendar.
The habit I commend most is the simplest:
Smile and say hello to everyone.
Try it for a week.
Smile at people you pass.
Say good morning.
Ask someone, “What’s been the best thing in your day?”
Ask yourself, “What makes me optimistic?”
Then notice what changes.
Thinking like an optimist is a daily practice.
It is the practice of looking for what is good, asking better questions, finding resources, building Plan B, drawing strength from others, and taking the next wise step.
Optimism is a belief that good things will happen and that things will work out in the end. We strengthen that belief each time we notice a good moment, encourage another person, imagine a better future, or take useful action.
Start small.
Smile. Say hello. Ask someone, “What’s been the best thing in your day?” Ask yourself, “What makes me optimistic?”
Then notice what changes.
That is how we learn to think like an optimist.
And as we keep practising, we live the life of an optimist.
More
Anand Kulkarni on Thinking Like an Optimist
David Mann on Thinking Like an Optimist
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