is a way of thinking about the world. It is a great way of coping with life’s difficulties and challenges. Fortunately it is something we can all learn at any stage of life. However teaching it to your children now means they will see immediate benefits and it is something they can take into the future.
An optimist expects to get the best out of life. As such they believe they will succeed. They are able to recognise their abilities and that they are capable of making things happen. So …

If you want to increase your happiness, one way is through nurturing your character strengths. Positive psychology has identified 24 strengths which can be divided into 6 distinct virtues. In this article I will talk about the strengths which make up the virtue ‘transcendence’: appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, spirituality and playfulness and humour. In addition, I offer tips to help you develop each strength.
Appreciation of beauty and excellence
People with an appreciation of beauty and excellence find pleasure in the beauty of the world around them. This pleasure will be …

Tell a pessimist their life is about to change and they will assume it is for the worst. Tell them it will be for the better and they will say it won’t last. Ask them why and they will tell you that someone will take it away from them. It is this mindset that characterises a pessimist.
I recently read a pessimistic article about the problem of optimism and happiness. It essentially claimed that our happiness levels are genetic and as such there is nothing we can do about them. It …

What follows are ideas to consider if you want to increase your confidence. You may want to read this in conjunction with my article on What is Self-Confidence?.

Believing in yourself

Choose your goals. Goals can be fun and enjoyable. They do not have to be things that fill you with dread. If it is a large goal, break it down and reward your achievements. Try to focus on what you’ve accomplished rather than what’s left to do.
Remember your past achievements, no matter how small. Write them down and reflect how good …

‘If I have lost confidence in myself, I have the universe against me.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Confidence is about believing in yourself, giving you the to go for your goals. As such, assertiveness is a valuable component of a self-confident person. To reach your goals you need to be able to go for what you want. Tied in with this is having an optimistic outlook. Self-confidence is also about liking yourself and being able to take personal responsibility. Furthermore, having confidence is not about belittling or treading on the needs …

It is possible to develop optimism since it is a mind-state and our thought patterns can be dramatically altered if we work hard enough at it. Hopefully the following ideas will help.

Watch your thinking. Try not to think in terms of always or never. For example: missing the bus and saying to yourself: “this always happens to me”.  Or, just before making a presentation at work, saying to yourself: “I never do well at these things”. Such thinking is not realistic or rational and should be challenged.

Acknowledge that good …

What is optimism?
Optimism is a concept closely related to happiness. It is about not giving up when the going gets tough. Yet when the going is good, having optimism means you expect the good to continue. It is about having hope and always believing things will improve. Being an optimist puts you in a good position to deal with situations in your life and to handle life’s difficulties generally.
Generally speaking:

Optimists believe bad things are temporary. They occur sometimes (rather than always) and will not last. For example, your boss shouting …

Having goals can help you live the life you want. It can give you a focus and some direction. This article outlines why setting goals can be beneficial for your wellbeing. It also discusses how your character strengths can be used to assist you in setting and achieving goals.
The benefits of goal setting
Hope and optimism
Goals give you a focus and something to look forward to.  They give your life a purpose and increase your feelings of hope and . Whether your goals are long term or short term, you are …

What is positive psychology?
The positive psychology movement was pioneered by Martin Seligman and is about improving the quality of life for all. It is concerned with happiness, sensual pleasure, wellbeing and . The vision is to enhance and nurture individual traits such as love, courage, forgiveness and perseverance. It is through this focus that it is hoped many mental health problems will be prevented.This idea is in sharp contrast to traditional psychology with its overriding concern with pathology and focus on what is wrong, rather than what is right with …

When bad things happen to , they don’t expect it to last. Start training your brain so that when stressful, difficult situations come up, you tell yourself that you will get through it and that the situation will not last. Is there anything practical you can do to help you through the situation sooner? This technique can apply to small things like waiting for a delayed train (realise it will come eventually, rather than it’s never going to arrive)as well as large events such as messing up an important job …