Comments on: Kill Your Pessimism, Change Your Life

By: Do Away With An Ordinary Life | TheHappySelf.com

Do Away With An Ordinary Life | TheHappySelf.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:34:35 +0000

[...] the life you want. Define the extraordinary life that you would live if you could. Don’t listen to those inner voices that whisper that you don’t deserve such a life, or that a track record of failure will get in your way. Just envision the life and then keep [...]

By: Dayne | TheHappySelf.com

Dayne | TheHappySelf.com — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:17:02 +0000

Hey there Joanne, thanks for commenting and visiting here! Thanks for sharing your blog post, I just read it and you are right, what a great post and blog! Nice job. I love the whole concept of barnacles.

Thanks again for sharing and commenting!

Dayne

By: Joanne Maly

Joanne Maly — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:03:27 +0000

Dayne,
Thank you for the reminder to remain ‘optimistic.’ I must have been in the same frame of mind the last few days because I wrote a blog post yesterday (Simply Said blog) about breaking free of those ‘things’ that can weigh down your own positive spirit and creativity (the barnacles in our life.)

This is the first time to your blog, and I will return.

Here’s a direct link below to the Simply Said post mentioned above that might be a nice sequel to your cool post.

Thanks,
Joanne Maly, Lincoln Maly Marketing, Cincinnati, Ohio

http://www.lincolnmalymarketing.com/blog/simply-said/2009/08/05/creativity_stuck_by_barnacles_g28rkcf76/
Joanne Maly´s last blog ..Creativity Stuck by Barnacles – Break Free

By: Dayne | TheHappySelf.com

Dayne | TheHappySelf.com — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:54:31 +0000

Baker – Thank you for the compliment, I’m glad you liked the post.
Feel free to come by again, thanks!

Alternaview – Welcome and thanks for commenting. I’m glad you liked the Twain quote as well, I thought it was perfectly appropriate for this post. Once we can get a grip on our thoughts, like you say, our life can change.

By: alternaview

alternaview — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:31:45 +0000

This is such a great post and so on point. I think a lot of times it is so easy to discount the impact of your mood on your life and what you are trying to accomplish. I know for me it is a new way of thinking and it is almost like you have to reprogram yourself. I really liked the Mark Twain quote and you are so right, there is power in discovering that you can control your thinking and make it more optimistic. Thanks for the reminder.
alternaview´s last blog ..“Everything Proceeds by an Orderly Sequence of Growth”

By: Baker

Baker — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:31:19 +0000

Nice post you have here! I believe our thoughts really do create what we choose to experience.
Baker´s last blog ..Don’t Use A Yardstick To Measure Up

By: Dayne | TheHappySelf.com

Dayne | TheHappySelf.com — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:21:51 +0000

Avani, using euphemisms is a great idea! Thank you for sharing that. Also, I think when people fear something, it helps to make something scary into something…comical. It changes or shifts the way we view something scary or negative, and makes it positive.

Thanks again for commenting!

Dayne

By: Avani Mehta

Avani Mehta — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:13:05 +0000

I am a big fan of using the power of language to kick out pessimism and increase optimism. When expressing negative feelings, use Euphemism (make them mild), when expressing positive feelings, use exaggeration (make them stronger). This is simple but quite effective.
Avani Mehta´s last blog ..Tap Into The PowerHouse Of Negative Emotions

By: Dayne | TheHappySelf.com

Dayne | TheHappySelf.com — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:36:46 +0000

Hi there Kaizan, your points are very good. As you have stated, the pessimistic person thinks in terms of themselves (“I’M incompetent or I’M no good at anything” etc.). It is very self centered and based on ego. I think a big key to an optimist is the dropping of that ego.

Thank you so much for your brilliant comment here, I really appreciate your time!

Cheers,
Dayne

By: Kaizan

Kaizan — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:27:21 +0000

Great post!Optimism is a truly valuable characteristic.

Dr Martin Seligman (Learned Optimism) has done a lot of work on optimism and shown that optimistic people aren’t just positive, they also respond to negative situations in a particular way.

For instance if an optimistic person gets told off by their boss for a mistake, their belief would be that:

1. The boss is probably in a bad mood (it’s an external cause, not their own fault)
2. It was a temporary mistake. Tomorrow will be better (temporary)
3. The mistake applies to that task and nothing else (specific)

In contrast a pessimistic person would think:
1. I’m incompetent (it’s my fault)
2. I’m always going to be incompetent (permanent)
3. I’m no good at ANYTHING (generalised)

See how the pessimistic person is setting themselves up for misery just by the way they react to one situation?

The optimistic thought pattern is a habit. And so like with any habit, optimism can be developed.
Kaizan´s last blog ..How to Eat Less – and Still be Happy