(5) Optimism

Why should happiness be our pursuit? The simple answer to that simple question is because it feels good to feel good.

Why be unhappy , demotivated and pessimistic , when you can be happy , motivated and optimistic? When we are happy , our perspective are more likely to broaden and experience an upward spiral on productivity and creativity. Happiness is also contagious , it's not hard to realize that when we surround ourselves with joyful , optimistic people , we are more likely to feel lighter at heart too.

It's important to repeat once again that belief is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Classic example is the "Placebo effect". Patients that are given candy instead of real medicine , were able to cure themselves simply because they believe that it will be helpful.

Placebo effect is the perfect example of how our brain do not like inconsistency , and it cannot tell between real (medicine)and fake (candy). When external reality (sickness) doesn't match our internal manifestation ( I should get better after the pill) , it will bring external reality to match our internal scheme (recovery).

This is why it is very important to be an optimist rather than a pessimist.

Let's first dive deeper into the difference between optimism and pessimism.

Take my favorite sports , basketball for example.

Let's say JR and Curry are both trying to pick up basketball as part of their college extra curricular programme. JR being a pessimist start off with really low goals and expectations , all he wants is to pass the programme , while Curry on the other hand is aiming to be the best player in his class. Mind seek consistency , since JR doesn't have very much expectations in the first place , he was never very motivated about the game. When he occasionally scores a basket , he will credit it to luck and learn nothing from it. Curry is the exact opposite. Since he wanted to be the best in the first place , he was always the first to reach the gym , and the last to leave. No matter how the practice goes that day , he took responsible and try to learn from mistakes , and enhance his already good 3 pointers. At the end of the programme , people were surprise at how good Curry became , and he was showered in praises such as "talented" , "gifted" , "one of a kind".

Many do not realize , the difference between Curry and JR wasn't the talent, it was how much they believe in themselves in the first place.

Visualization , as suggested by "The Secret" , is only half of the equation. The other half is hard work and failures. It is important to be an optimist , but above all , it's even more important to be a realistic optimist. Just because we are optimistic about something doesn't mean we will be able to smooth sail our way to success. It is counterproductive to paint a world of nothing but unicorns and rainbows in our mind , because reality is there are going to be setbacks while we pursue our goals.

We can only fail our way to succeed. There is no other way.

So how do we create a positive environment where we can bring out the best of ourselves?

Start by doing these 3 things :

1. Have pictures of people you love Be it your parents , spouse , significant other , kids or even your pets. Have a picture of them around the office , or in your wallet.

2. Have pleasant objects You can carry around a gratitude stone , or place objects that really inspire you in your office or living room. A poster of a quote that really hit it home for you , your favourite books , a musical instrument that you play , etc.

3. Believe & You can achieve Remind yourself of your goals , and reinforce the belief that you can achieve them with hard work and resilience , until it becomes a second nature.

Remember the base level of happiness that we've talked about last week? We raise our base level of happiness by putting ourselves on the line. Don't shy away from challenges , take risk and cope with difficulties and failures along the way. It's only when we tackle challenges head on and realize that we have the ability to overcome them , that we become a better , happier version of ourselves.