by Roberta M. Diddel, Ph.D. (originally published in
"Scleroderma Voice," 2006 #4)
We’re
all taught that optimism is good for you, but did you
know that psychologists have proven that fact? Studies
in the new field of positive psychology have shown that
people who are optimistic are healthier, live longer,
are more successful, more creative, more popular, recover
more quickly from trauma, and are less likely to suffer
from anxiety and depression.
There are several reasons why optimistic people do
better, but one main reason is that optimism leads people
to be open to experience and makes them more willing
to try new things. The person who tries something is
more likely to succeed than the one who doesn’t.
As basketball star and politician Bill Bradley said,
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Positive people also tend to draw others to them,
because it’s easier to be around someone who’s
optimistic. That may explain why optimists live longer—they
seem able to gather support from others and ask for
help when they need it.
Optimism also serves as a buffer against stressors,
like illness, pain and fatigue. Chronic illness makes
it hard to enjoy and stay involved in life and relationships.
Positive thinking helps to combat the temptation to
withdraw, becoming focused on how bad one feels and
how dismal the future seems.
Optimism is also connected with a trait called resilience.
Resilient people manage difficulties better because
they tend to believe they can overcome life’s
challenges, feel their needs are important, seek out
opportunities to laugh, and have fun. They are able
to put fear and pessimistic thoughts out of their minds
for periods of time in order to take what pleasure they
can from life.
Resilience is as much about doing as thinking, because
without activities, life becomes devoid of meaning and
we become disengaged. So you may not need to be optimistic,
as long as you act optimistic, since most of the benefits
of positive thinking stem from living life actively
and staying engaged socially.
We are a little like Tinkerbell, the fairy from Peter
Pan who begins to die after drinking poison. We can
save her only by clapping to show that we believe in
her. It’s not enough just to believe; we must
act. This, then, is the Tinkerbell Effect—creating
life through activities that express our values and
use our strengths, that bring us closer to others and
to our purpose in life. So get out there every day and
clap.
Dr. Diddel was the keynote speaker of this year’s
National Conference. She is the executive director of
Psychology Works, a non-profit organization educating
people with chronic disease and their families about
how to adapt to the emotional and social impact of illness.
She has been quadriplegic since a spinal cord injury
in 1973.
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