A negative mind will never give you a positive life.

You can't walk around with a negative mindset and expect positive outcomes. It just doesn't work that way.

Here's an important distinction, though. There is no shame in having a negative thought. We all have them. But there's a big difference between having a negative thought and being a negative person.

Researchers Shelley Taylor and Jonathan Brown actually found that people with unrealistically favorable views of themselves and an optimistic outlook about the future are more likely to push through challenges and setbacks. They called it borderline delusional optimism.

And those people? Happier. Stronger relationships. More motivated to improve their lives. A decades-long study on longevity found that highly optimistic people lived up to 15% longer.

How wild is it that you might live 15% longer just from choosing to believe things will work out? Not ignoring reality, or pretending the storm is sunshine. But thinking something useful and hopeful in a moment of uncertainty.

So here’s the question I’ll leave you with: would you rather have a diamond with a flaw or a pebble without?

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.