5 Qualities of Optimistic People

Discover the traits of optimistic people that you should consider adopting.

No one wants to be sad, negative, and see the glass as half empty. These are the characteristics of a pessimist.

On the other hand, optimistic people are totally opposite. They see the glass as half full, they are always happy, and they look at everything as opportunities rather than problems.

Optimists look for the positive in every situation. That does not mean that people who are optimistic will never experience any setback or face any problem in life, it is just that they choose to accept the situation and look at things from a different positive perspective.

This is why people who are optimistic are more successful than people who are negative.

The question is that how do you become optimistic and not pessimistic?

Here are 5 qualities of optimistic people that you should consider adopting.

1.) They are self-motivated

Optimistic people are self-motivated people. This is because they see everything as an opportunity rather than a problem, they are more willing to take action and work for what they want.

People who are positive are willing to try new things because they know that even if they fail, it is alright as long as they learn from their experience.

On the contrary, people who are negative choose to maintain their status quo. They don’t dare to venture out of their comfort zone because they worry if things are not working out. They are defeated in their minds before they even make the move.

Thus, if you want to produce better success in life, choose to look at things as an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to get to a better ground, not as a problem or roadblock that stops you.

An optimist is someone who believes in what they do. You have to understand that self-motivation comes from within. Knowing that your dreams and goals are possible makes you feel driven to move forward without thinking too much about the difficulties and problems.

So learn to be self-motivated. Look at things from the brighter side and tell yourself that whatever you want is possible. Like what motivational speaker, Les Brown often says, “It’s possible!”

2.) They surround themselves with other positive people

Birds of the same feathers flock together. If you get around with losers, you will end up being a loser too. Hence, get rid of all the negative people around you if you want to be positive.

As the saying goes, “A positive life can never come from a negative mind.” One of the qualities of optimistic people is that they surround themselves with other like-minded people. And in this case, optimistic people mix themselves with other positive people.

Energy is contagious. When you get along with people who love to complain, guess what your conversation will be? Complains. Sooner or later, you will jump in to fit in and complain about things too.

This is why Jim Rohn said that you are average of the five people you mix with. You cannot be an eagle if you keep swimming with the ducks.

Optimists surround themselves with other positive people. So identify who are the people you want to mix with and then spend more time with them.

When you get around with business people, the conversation will revolve around topics business and economy. And when you surround yourself with people who smoke and drink, you will become one too.

Therefore, keep an eye on whom you spend the most time with. If you want to be optimistic, get along with positive people.

3.) They express gratitude

Another great quality of optimistic people is that they often express gratitude. No matter what happens, they value it and they feel grateful for it.

Even when things are not going their way, they know that there is no point to show their sulky face because they can’t change the past. Hence, optimistic people choose to feel grateful and accept what has happened.

However, this does not mean that they accept their defeat or choose to do nothing. They simply acknowledge the fact that they can’t change the situation, but they can change themselves.

Optimists are people who believe that if they can’t change the direction of the wind, they can definitely change their sails to reach their destination.

Gratitude is one of the most life-changing qualities that you should adopt. Think about it, when you are grateful for what you have, you will always feel that you are wealthy. But if you are not grateful for what you have, you will never feel wealthy even if you have a million dollars in the bank.

When optimistic people stumble across problems, they don’t feel as bad because they are grateful for the things that they have rather than feeling not enough for things that they don’t have.

4.) They don’t listen to the naysayers

Do you know that most successful people don’t listen to the naysayers? Optimistic people are people who believe in the possibility.

When you tell them that something is impossible, they still choose to move on because they believe in their gut feelings and their instinct.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to be a bodybuilder, many people told him that it was impossible. However, he ignored them and went on to train his body. He won the Mr. Olympia title, for seven times.

And when Arnold decided to join the movie industry, the naysayers told him that his body was too bulky and that his name was too difficult to pronounce, did he listen to them? No, not a chance.

Arnold then became one of the most famous actors in Hollywood and his success paid off many times. All these happened because he chose not to listen to the naysayers and trust his own optimism.

Thus, be optimistic and have faith in what you want. When someone tells you that what you want is impossible, you know it very well that you are onto something big. That’s being optimistic.

5.) They are often happy and joyful

Optimistic people are happy people. This is because they see things from the brighter and positive side, thus, they feel happy.

An optimist sees even the smallest things from a positive point of view. For instance, saying a simple “good morning” can be a great way to cheer up your colleagues. The thing is that most people focus on the dread of working rather than thinking about the small little ‘fun’ they can enjoy each and every day.

Plenty of studies have shown that smiling has a lot of health benefits. When you smile, even when you don’t feel like it, can reduce the intensity of your body’s stress response.

So if you want to be someone who is optimistic, smile more. Even if you are not actually happy, the act of smiling can make you feel better.

This is one of the obvious qualities of optimistic people. Smile more and make each moment worth living with unlimited possibilities.