What Having a Good Attitude Does for Us

American tennis star Madison Keyes has just demonstrated the power of a good attitude in her recent capture of a Grand Slam title; her remarkable story is inspiring.

We can sense when our attitude is positive and when it needs to be improved. Here, we will share the benefits of striving to maintain a good attitude! Our attitude impacts our lives physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It also directly affects our relationships and, as a result, our success in life.

Physically

Research indicates that individuals with positive attitudes tend to live longer. Perhaps their optimism reduces stressors and lessens the physical effects of stress on our bodies. Our immune system operates more effectively when we concentrate on the positive rather than the negative. Additionally, this optimism can help lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of hypertension and heart disease.

The Nun Study

In the 1930s and 1940s, when they were around twenty-two years old, a group of Roman Catholic nuns was asked to write brief autobiographical sketches as they were about to take their religious vows. The Nun Study of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease was launched in 1986, and the autobiographies provided insight into the emotional lives of these women at a young age. Researchers coded each autobiography by counting positive, negative, and neutral emotional words.

Remarkably, the most cheerful nuns lived, on average, a decade longer than their less cheerful counterparts. Among the least cheerful nuns, 60%  had passed away by age eighty, compared to only 25% of the most cheerful ones (Danner et al., 2001).

Neurologically

A positive attitude, particularly an optimistic one, allows for the production of feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin, which enhance our self-esteem and outlook on our circumstances. The belief that no challenge is insurmountable helps keep stress in check, making us more resilient when faced with obstacles. Positivity also diminishes negative self-talk, which can contribute to anxiety and depression.

Intellectually

A good attitude enables us to see challenges as learning opportunities, preparing us for a future we may be uniquely qualified to address. This resilience leads to learning and growing from challenges that could be seen as defeating. Creativity flourishes with an attitude that is open to what could be.

Relationships

Every one of us enjoys being with people with a positivity attitude. Their positivity makes interacting with them easy. Their good attitude becomes contagious, enabling an interaction where each participant gains deeper insights into the other, especially about what is good in them. With a positive attitude on both sides, two individuals in conflict have a greater chance of coming to a mutually agreeable solution, thanks to the respect and self-awareness that we discussed in last week’s post.

Whether in a partnership or a marriage, it is nature of the relationship that makes it work. And any relationship is built upon our attitude in life.

What We Can Do to Enable Having a Consistently Good Attitude

• Believe in yourself. Recognize that you are a gift to this world. Dedicate yourself to becoming the best version of yourself . . . so far. Embrace the fact that you are an unfinished masterpiece, a work in process that evolves every day. Cherish and enjoy the journey.
• Be grateful for what you have. Take time to journal about your blessings. They are there; are you seeing them?
• Create or seek a positive environment. Assess those you spend time with—are they energizing or deenergizing? The heliotropic effect describes the natural inclination of living things to seek positivity and light; like plants, we humans grow with positive energy, and we wilt without it.
• Look for the silver lining in challenges. Reframe your perspective on a challenge so it doesn’t overwhelm you. Find the growth opportunity to adapt and better prepare for the future.

Life will challenge us. A positive attitude prepares us to face those challenges and become the foundation for greater strength in the future. We can overcome and thrive like Bo Schembechler’s 1969 Michigan Football team did to win the Big Ten Championship. It starts with a strong belief in our ability to conquer any challenge if we remain optimistic and unified.

Please share your own stories about attitude.  Thank you…Fritz.