Optimism may be one of the best ways to prevent death from cardiovascular disease.  The study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found the following:

• Optimism leads to a 55% reduction in cardiovascular death.
• Optimists were 45% less likely to die from any cause during the 15 year study!
  
• Optimism is a fairly stable characteristic--optimism seems to be habitual rather than circumstantial.

What does this mean for you?  It means that you need to spend time creating optimism to experience optimal health.  Optimists tend to view good things as a matter of course, and tend to view negative experiences and transitory.  An optimist will see a promotion as deserved, and a demotion as an unfortunate moment requiring a remedy.  He or she will continue to magnetize positive experiences, and to learn from and work through negative experiences.

A pessimist is the opposite--pessimists will see good things as transitory and negative experiences as a matter of course.  They will see a promotion as a fleeting stroke of luck, and a demotion as "the sort of thing that always happens to me."

Where do your experiences lie?  Do you expect the best?  Do you expect your health and vitality to improve, your friendships to deepen, and your skills to sharpen?  If not, I suggest you read my article, "Affirmation for Life Change".  That article will teach you one of the most effective means of creating a change in the way you perceive your life experiences.  Remember--our perceptions shape our reality!

Read the study.