Attitude and longevity

Many recent research studies have demonstrated that optimists are healthier, happier, and more successful, and they also live longer and recover from illnesses better. In fact a resent study showed that people with terminal cancer who were unrealistically optimistic about their chances of survival lived much longer than the rank realists.

Optimism is more than mere positive thinking, such as asserting that a glass is half full rather than half empty. True optimism relates to locus of control. Thus the optimist believes that she is in control of her own destiny and interprets events in a way that protects her ego and gives her hope to keep on. Pessimists, on the other hand, have a neutral or a negative bias toward life events.

Thus, optimists view favorable events as permanent, pervasive, and within their control. While, pessimists see the world in the opposite way and think favorable events as temporary, specific, and external and negative events as the norm and permanent.

Unfortunately a large portion of people's optimism or pessimism is physiologically based. However, given that at this time you cannot change your genes and I personally am against taking mood altering drugs (Saint John's Wort may be a better natural alternative than Prozac and Zoloft and other SSRIs) unless at the last resort, you can improve your optimism by your self talk and altering your behavior (cognitive behavioral therapy). I'll later on write about some techniques to became more optimistic. For now I recommend repeating the following affirmations as many times as possible:

"I approve of myself."
"I like myself."
"Life is full of wonderful surprises."
"I love life and it shows."
You can repeat these and other similar affirmations while driving, waiting in a line, or any other spare time you have. I find repeating affirmation first thing in the morning (it is 4:06 a.m. as I write this and I do like myself) and last thing at night very useful.

Another type of thing is to prove to yourself that you like yourself by eating nutritious natural food and avoiding junk food. Would you put junk oil full of sludge in a two million dollar Bugatti Veyron (the most expensive car I know of)? Why do you put junk full and full of sludge in your mouth.

You can also prove that you like yourself by exercising. The reason I am up at 4:11 a.m. (five minutes later) is so I can go to the gym. You don't need to go to the gym but can at least park away from that store so you walk a little or walk up the stairs rather than taking the lift.