Following my daily routine of scanning through venues of the media to become aware of the latest in current affairs, I began to acquire an empathetic feeling toward those who tend to complain endlessly about their misfortune while painting a bleak picture of the future.
Most publications, motivated by their desire to widen their readerships, put emphasis on tragedies, scandals and wars, on their coverage of current affairs. That leads people to become pessimistic enough to acquire negative attitude toward life, which influences their states of being happy or otherwise.
It is too obvious that happy people are more likely to have a positive outlook on life. Consequently, I found myself contemplating about what would make people experience happiness or become miserable.
Two important questions popped up into my mind: "Is happiness a state of mind or a genuine feeling? If it is a state of mind, does being optimistic pave the route to enjoying its wonders?
Regardless of its nature, it is logical to assume that the majority of people are aching to experience real happiness in their lives. However, many individuals spend the most part of their lives chasing after it attempting to figure out what would lead them to attain the goal of being happy.
Experts believe that one can experience real happiness in one's life if he/she achieves physical satisfaction, mental stimulation and emotional fulfillment. However, one may wonder about the role that optimism play in attaining the goal of being physically satisfied, mentally stimulated and emotionally fulfilled.
Physical satisfaction could be attained by leading a healthy lifestyle filled with love, affection and moral support from those who share one's environment. Being optimistic for certain will lead one to exercise enough, follow a healthy diet and seek the support of his/her peers in whatever endeavors he/she may embark upon knowing in advance that they would oblige.
It is a fact of life that optimistic people tend to be friendly and approachable enough to have wide circles of friends and acquaintances. Exchanging views and engaging in formal and informal discussion gears them to achieve mental stimulation.
I do believe that most of optimistic individuals are inquisitive by nature. They are truth seekers who possess insatiable hunger for the acquisition and widening the horizons of their knowledge.
To experience emotional fulfillment, one must have a definite purpose in life that motivates one to face life's challenges with courage and vigor. That purpose might be achieving success in one's career or acquiring fame and fortune, falling in love and/or leading a harmonious and happy life with family and friends.
Optimistic people tend to believe that nothing in life is impossible. Therefore, they think that they will realize their goals in life regardless of the obstacles that may stand on their way to actualize their dreams with the help and support of their networks of connections.
From the above discussion, one may see clearly that being optimistic may pave the route to experience happiness. However, is it possible for one to be optimistic all the time bearing in mind the chaotic world in which we live?
Unfortunately, one must be realistic enough to answer the previous question negatively. Nevertheless, one must attempt to acquire an optimistic view of life in order to survive its hardships. Otherwise, one may fall victim to depression and misery.
Daily, one has to deal with several challenges in which one must face the possibility of being successful or facing failure in handling them. One will have the option of focusing on the success that one achieves or dwells on the failure that one receives.
According to one's attitude in dealing with the outcomes of those challenges, one can be proud of one's success while learning valuable lessons from one's failure or being caught in a vicious circle of blame for and justification of one's failure.
As a conclusion, focusing on the positive aspects of life may lead you to become optimistic enough to experience the happiness that you ache for and eluded you for so long.
Am I optimistic? Certainly, I try to be despite the fact that sometimes it doesn't seem that easy attain a positive attitude toward few aspects of my life but I am fine with that.
Holding an honorary professorship from China, Sava Hassan is a Canadian author, poet and educator. He had published three books and wrote numerous articles in various topics in Canada, USA and China. For a year, he was writing an advice column for a major English magazine in China. Sava, occasionally, writes articles for several Chinese English Newspapers. He won several writing awards including seven from China.