How optimism can unlock your success

We have all been asked whether a glass is half full or half empty. This age old test sees whether you see the positive in things, or only the negative. When you see the glass as half full, that typically means you have an optimistic outlook on life, and that's good—science has proven that an optimistic outlook is linked with success.

Better health

You need to be healthy and stress free in order to be successful at anything in life. This is true whether your idea of success is to be able to keep up with a pair of toddlers, or if you are on a career ladder hoping to work longer hours and advance yourself even more.

Good health and low stress also helps you focus, and research shows optimism can help with both. In particular, Harvard University notes that optimism directly helps with the heart and circulatory system.

 Better resilience

When things go badly, it's tempting to promise yourself you're never going to try again. Even if an unfortunate event isn't your fault at all, it can be difficult to bounce back. Optimists however, can see the silver lining in these events, and are more likely to try again.

More opportunities

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits optimism yields to those who have it is the number of opportunities available to them. Where pessimists can only see a poor situation, an optimist can look and see opportunity.

When you can see opportunities even in difficult job markets or uncertain times, you'll be more likely to try and take advantage of them.

 The result of course, is that there are more chances to be successful. If you're not normally an optimistic person, the good news is you can retrain yourself to lean toward optimism. Meditation, relabeling your thoughts, and even writing down the things you are grateful for can all help you be more optimistic.