Feeling Down? You May Need an Attitude Change

Lisa Franchi January 13, 2015

Are you the kind of person who tend to steal his own happiness? Do you feel guilty when you are having fun? Do you believe taking leisure is just a waste of time? If your answers to these question are all “YES”, you probably are one, unhappy person.

Ouch. But you are not alone. Many people feel the same way. We live in a society where happiness is often associated with accomplishments and status in life. If you have a good job, got plenty of savings in the bank, or if you’re famous and influential – there’s nothing in this world you could ever ask for. People will conclude that you are indeed living a happy life.

But time and again, we see proofs that these things aren’t really what makes us happy. We see influential people making headlines on TV and newspapers for taking their own lives. We see very wealthy people ending up living behind bars because they got addicted to drugs. We see elite families broken because of infidelity.

So what then, could make us happy? As in genuinely happy?

Fortunately, the resource we need to be happy is just within our reach. We just have to dig deeper inside – down to the bottom of our hearts – down to the bottom of our being. Being happy starts the moment we change our attitude.

If you always look at the glass half empty, then you have the attitude that sets you up for unhappiness. No matter how hardworking and committed you are to your career, or how you try to keep your personal and social relationships, you will always think that something’s missing or your efforts are never enough. That’s the attitude that makes happiness highly impossible.

So what then is the attitude you need to adopt to be happy? You know what it is. We’re talking about optimism. This doesn’t mean you stop doing anything and just wish that everything turns out okay. Optimism is not simply thinking about positive things. But allowing positive things to influence your life and your being. It involves taking actions, going through difficulties, and trying over again without submitting to failure, and not feeling down when you didn’t get what you want. It’s not simply about choosing to see only the good things, but believing that there is something good in everything, in every situation – negative or positive. Optimism isn’t just about knowing that a silver lining exists, it is believing that there’s a reason for everything, and goodness is just around the corner.

Developing a Positive Attitude

When it comes to developing optimism, where do you start? A great start would be to practice gratefulness or gratitude as they call it. Being thankful for everything you’ve got is a big step towards a more optimistic attitude. How do you show gratitude? Begin with reaching out to your family, friends, and colleagues. Let them know how important they are to you. Show gratitude towards yourself by treating yourself kindly. Take a break from your stressful work. Enjoy a little more. And smile and laugh more. When you begin to practice gratitude, you also begin to develop awareness of the endless possibilities life offers you.