Optimism: Staying Hopeful and Not Giving Up. How does Nature Experience Nurture Optimism?

Optimism allows a person to gain self-control. Understanding that negative events in life are only temporary, with an ability to see past the uncomfortable situation towards hope and new possibilities is powerful. Optimistic thinking is a habit that can be nurtured. We can train our minds to think optimistically, to see the world through rose colored lenses, even when things are beyond our control. It is a skill that can be learned.

Helplessness occurs when a person experiences many personal failures wether it is their fault or someone elses. Learned helplessness can lead to depression, with pessimistic thinking perpetuating learned helplessness and furthering the cycle of depression. Depession is the ultimate expession of pessimism. Like optimistic thinking, pessimistic thinking is a skill set that one can aquire. Changing pessimistic thinking into optimistic thinking is possible with patience, practice, and intention. It is important to understand that the way we think influences the way we live our lives and the health that follows.

Practice optimistic thinking on your next mountain hike.

Affirmation: I can reframe negative thoughts into positive thoughts.

Mindful Moment: Sit comfortably seated, with an awareness in posture. Elongating spine, chin up, shoulders back, arms relaxed, focusing on breath. Listening to the breath, with each breath expanding, lengthening, then letting go. Notice an awareness in your thoughts. Are you thinking negatively? Are you able to change negative thinking into more optimitic thinking? What thoughts, feelings, sensations, reactions are present? What are you noticing? When you feel distracted or unclear, keep going back to your breath. Is it shallow or full? Lengthen each breath. Then, let go.

Nature Experience: Take a hike and keep going all of the way to the top. Stay aware in each moment of any thoughts, feelings, sensatons, or reactions that are present. Just observe and notice your thinking patterns. With intention, when negative thoughts are present reframe the negative thought into an optimistic statement. Say it out loud to yourself.

Journal Prompt: During my hike today a persistent thought, feeling, or reaction was? What did I observe? How did this effect my ability to keep moving forward? Was I able to keep going to reach the top? What was the view like? Was I able to change pessimistic thinking into optimistic thinking? How did I do this?