You've heard the question a thousand times: “Is the glass half full or half empty?” Researchers suggest that the way you answer that question is an indication of the way you look at life, either through optimistic eyes or pessimistic eyes.

When you think of the word optimism, you may think of happy, smiling, laughing, joyous people without a care in the world. This is not necessarily true. Optimism does not mean that you are constantly and eternally happy; it simply means that you have an outlook on life that is generally upbeat and positive. It means that you know and value hope.

De-Mystifying Optimism

One of the most important traits of an optimist is perseverance. Optimists will last through tough times. They have enough faith in their abilities and enough self-esteem to carry them through rough patches, even if the rough patches last for quite a while.

Optimists believe that their actions matter. They do not profess to be able to change the world, but they do profess to matter in the world. Optimism is all about an outlook. It is less about how you are treated and more about how you treat.

Optimism is not innate. You are not born optimistic or pessimistic. Both are learned qualities. Both may very well date back to your early childhood or to later events in your life that shaped your attitudes.

Optimistic people tend to pay closer attention to their general health and health issues than the pessimists. They blame themselves less, work through setbacks more effectively, and are better able to eliminate contaminants (people, events, situations) from their lives.

How Does Optimism Come About?

Harmony! It's all in that one word. Harmony means a coming together of the elements, a blending of time and tide, a simultaneous combination of all that you've worked for and believed in. Harmony is unison in full grandeur.

However, harmony cannot and does not just happen. Harmony is the result of your mindset, your actions, your thoughts, your experiences, your education, your luck, your goals, and your work all coming together in one space and time. Harmony is a result of what you have done in the past to open the door to good fortune. Yes, it involves the way that you think and the attitude you have about your possibilities in the world. Harmony is the result of optimism.

How Optimism Can Help

Optimism is not a panacea for world peace, a cure for cancer, or ending hunger. But optimism has its advantages. Optimists are better able to cope with the ins and outs of daily living. They are able to take failures and setbacks with a grain of salt and not let them ruin their lives or self-esteem.

Optimists are better able to receive and grow from constructive criticism. They take the advice and see it for what it is worth and for how it may help them live better and more abundantly.

Optimists are more responsive to the challenges that life can bring about. They are the people who have the most options. They look at a challenge and are not crushed by it because they know that nothing is forever.

Optimists seem to be more creative and work harder for positive outcomes. They are not afraid of the unknown, the past, or what lies ahead. They are levelheaded about most events and are usually not deterred in their resolve.

Optimists understand that not everything can or will be changed. They accept that fact, do what they can, and move on. They do not spend needless energy fighting battles that will never be won.

Finally, optimists are contagious, and so are pessimists. Optimists are good at helping others see brighter possibilities, silver linings, happier endings, creative solutions, and enduring relationships. Their attitudes, like most attitudes, can catch on and spread.