Live longer! Be optimistic!

Olympics are less than ten days away. I share a great passion for sports and I believe there are many things we can use from sports in our professional lives; but this is a theme for another post.

On social media and the press, all we can see is negative comments on how Rio is going to host a terrible Olympics. Zika, dengue fever, poor water quality, collapsing government, terrorists’ threats. People seem to love the pessimism and bad news.

Myself, I’m an optimistic. I know the Olympics are going to be great. I am so sure that I have been planning my trip to Rio for over two years. I volunteered to work during my vacation time at the Olympic Games and I have bought tickets for 9 different sports.

Martin E. P. Seligman has studied optimism and pessimism for over 25 years. In his researches has found out the following patterns:

Pessimists:

• give up things more easily
• get depressed more often

Optimistics:

• do better in school, at work and on the playing field
• age better
• it is suggested that they live longer

Seligman also points out that many of us are pessimists without even being aware of it. The good news is that we can train our brain to change these patterns and be able to live a longer better life.

I decided to always choose OPTMISM!

Go team Brazil.