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Inspiration

Give yourself an optimism boost

ith the holiday season now in full swing, typically see the sunny side of life need to rejuvenate and
a time when the giving spirit captures boost their optimism. As we approach a new year, now is
people's imaginations in countless places an ideal time to do that. So here are some ideas on how to
W around the globe, I'm particularly happy give your optimism a boost:
to be part of the payments industry, a sphere full of opti- • Limit the amount of news you watch and read. The
mists. producers of news programs depend on ratings, and
unfortunately bad news grabs more attention than
I'm reminded that one huge plus for being optimistic is good. Thus, they feed us so much drama it can cause
that it's good for your health. In "The 5 benefits of being us to worry and even lose sleep at night.
optimistic," published in Entrepreneur on May 14, 2015,
Zach Cutler, wrote that a University of Illinois study of • Spend time focusing on what's good in your life. Be
more than 5,100 adults, found that respondents "who were aware of things that are less than satisfactory and
the most optimistic were 76 percent more likely to have address them if necessary, but don't dwell on those
health scores in an ideal range. things.
• Always appreciate your sincere efforts whether you
In addition, optimists had significantly better blood sugar win or lose.
and cholesterol levels, exercised more, and had healthier
body mass indexes, and were less likely to smoke than • Spend more time focusing on your strengths than
pessimists." And what could be more important than good you spend trying to improve your flaws.
health when it comes to being productive and enjoying • Spend time with people who make you laugh,
life? who are full of life and who enjoy exploring new
things. While caution about in-person gatherings
Contrasted with pessimism, optimism comes out the clear is still necessary, remember how uplifting an old-
winner. In numerous studies, researchers have found that fashioned telephone call can be. Call that best friend
pessimism tends to make a person susceptible to depres- from school you haven't talked to lately. Experience
sion and inertia; optimism leads to vibrancy and action. the sensation of feeling like no time had passed
Pessimists tend to see failure as something to lament and a since you last spoke, and watch it brighten your day
reason to be more cautious; optimists see failure as an op- and reinforce your optimism.
portunity to make a new start, which could lead to some- • Try something new—a new recipe, a new hike, a
thing even greater than previously imagined. Pessimists new hobby. This will stimulate your brain, lift your
tend to be suspicious of new ideas and situations, which mood and make you a most interesting person to
can lead to lost opportunities; optimists are open to new know.
ideas and experiences, which makes it easier for them to
adapt to our always changing environment.
Becoming more optimistic

Most of us have a blend of optimistic and pessimistic
tendencies, but salespeople in general lean toward the Kate Gillespie, President and CEO
optimistic end of things. But sometimes even those who
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