“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”-Winston Churchill
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There comes a time when each of us feels disappointed, let down, dejected and life seems to hit rock bottom. Following Murphy ’s Law, everything that can possibly go wrong actually does. Life seems to have come to a dead end with no way out of the abyss.
During such crises, it’s easy to fall into negative patterns of fear, anxiety and depression. However, things could turn out an entirely different way if we could give hope a chance. To put it in terms of Helen Keller, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope.”
The human mind is the most powerful device ever created. It is important to train it to think constructive thoughts and have positive beliefs rather than filling it with negative, self-destructive thoughts. During the darkest of times, it is essential to hold on to that one little thread of hope which is a sign of an existing silver lining in every dark cloud.
The way we talk to ourselves inwardly is really important because it becomes the basis of our spoken words. It sets up the mental atmosphere in which we operate and which attracts to us our experiences. If we belittle ourselves, life is going to mean very little to us. If we love and appreciate ourselves, then life can be a wonderful, joyous gift. Whether positive self-talk adds to an optimistic attitude towards life is anybody’s guess.
Countless studies have been conducted on optimism, and the vast majority of them support the same conclusions: optimism is healthy! Optimists live longer, have better functioning 
immune systems, cope better with difficult circumstances, and even have healthier babies.
The belief that negative events are temporary, limited in scope (instead of pervading every aspect of a person’s life), and manageable gives an immense boost to a person’s morale fueling creative solutions and thereby giving one a hold over oneself and the situation in hand.
So the next time you are knocked down by life, don’t give up. Optimism is a powerful tool in our repertoire to keep us healthy, happy, and alive. To sum it up in one of my favorite tracks by Switchfoot: Don’t say so long, and throw yourself wrong. Don’t spend today away because today will soon be gone.
