In today’s world it can be rather difficult to look on the positive sides of topics as divided as our country is regarding social movements and politics. Many are haunted by the idea of what is to come in the future: What college will I go to? What career will I pursue? How will I live my life? The future unfolds in front of our eyes and many of us can’t enjoy it as we are too anxious of what is to come. Not optimists, these people have the mindset that the future will hold positive outcomes and with this they are able to focus on the present and how to better themselves every day. 

To achieve this state of mind you must look at yourself and focus on the present despite the constant worries of what is to come. No one is born an optimist or pessimist, it is a choice that me or you can work on everyday doing the little things that will better your mental health. Focusing on your mental health is the most important step in having an optimistic mindset; you must believe that what is to come will be beneficial to you and every mistake you make is a learning step. Not only do you have to have the right mindset, but you have to surround yourself with people with goals similar to yours to keep you accountable. The people you surround yourself with are very important to reach your goal to be a more optimistic person as these people can influence you very easily. The checkpoints you surpass to be a more optimistic person go on and on, but these are some of the most important steps to having a positive mindset.

The benefits of being an optimistic person may not seem much different from being a pessimistic person as this is only a mindset and not a tangible item that you can achieve, but the benefits of being a hopeful person can change the way someone lives their life. Optimism will bring you joy in your life as you may not be as anxious focusing on the future or overwhelmed by the mistakes you have made in your past. This can be very beneficial to your mental health which can make a world’s difference due to the effect that poor mental health can negatively impact the way people live their lives. Not only will optimism better your living, but it can bring you more success as optimistic people tend to focus on the present rather than worrying about what the future holds. Also, optimists see obstacles as learning experiences rather than steps in the wrong direction which leads to more productivity and more success. Now that we understand what it takes to become an optimistic person, how does it play into our lives?

Being an optimistic person can make a major difference in one's life, but what specifically can it help? The constant fear of what the future holds afflicts many highschoolers today, but an optimistic mindset can put their minds at ease and help them succeed. What’s stopping these students from being the next great baseball player or the next Bill Gates? The answer to this question is fear. Fear hinders many to succeed as the first step to greatness is difficult to overcome as many fail to achieve their goals due to roadblocks which they think are impossible to conquer. The optimistic mindset one can attain will help overcome that fear and worry that you aren’t good enough or you don’t have what it takes. The only issue is only few take the time to master the qualities that an optimistic person has, but you can be a part of that small percent that practice and achieve that optimistic mindset.

Now understanding the process of achieving optimism and how it can apply in one's life, the final step is making the choice to better yourself by changing your state of mind. Many find it pointless or too time consuming to practice being an optimist, but the work will pay off as you will naturally become a happier, more hopeful person. Having a positive mindset and being able to better yourself through the mistakes you make is truly the most beneficial thing you can do in your life. Optimism is a choice, and choosing it will make a major difference in your life.