Don't Worry, Be Happy: It's Now Proven That Being Optimistic Makes You More Successful

Have you ever felt that for some people, things just seem to fall automatically into place?

Literally, everything appears to go right for them. You want to hate them, but you can't because they're incredibly nice and enthusiastic people. Well, as it turns out, you should probably take a page out of their book.

A new study reveals that positive people are more likely to find success in life. Simply put, optimism will make you lucky, and now it's scientifically proven.

The study, conducted by psychologist Richard Wiseman, showed that an individual's personality drastically impacted how lucky or unlucky they were in life. Basically, individuals who are less anxious and negative about their lives are more likely to seize opportunities.

The research, Dr. Wiseman found, revealed that lucky people tend to follow four basic principles:

-They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities.

-They make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition.

-They create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations.

-They adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good.

Basically, where some people see obstacles, others see possibilities. Successful people are less likely to place limits on themselves.

They follow their guts and literally believe that anything is possible in life, which is why they continue to open up further possibilities for themselves. Also, the "lucky" don't allow themselves to become discouraged when they are not successful. 

The old adage, carpe diem, rings true once again. Or as Winston Churchill once aptly stated, "success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."

When it comes down to it: Negativity is a worthless sentiment. It doesn't improve your life. Yes, it's true that not worrying about the future is easier said than done, but the fact of the matter is that the present is all that truly exists.

If we are negative in the present, we create a negative future. The present is all we have, and if we don't make the best of it then we are wasting our lives.

As the Buddha said,

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Or as one of the 20th century's greatest philosophers and musicians, Mr. Bob Marley, once said,

Don't worry, bout' a thing ... Cause' every little thing, gonna be alright.

With that said, it is also important to be realistic in life, without limiting yourself in the process. As an article from Forbes notes:

While studies show a strong link between successful entrepreneurs and optimism, having too sunny of a disposition can lead to delusions of success ... Entrepreneurs must learn to balance their inner cheerleader and realist, and it isn't always a clear-cut line down the middle. Some ... situations require more optimism than realism, while others call for a different ratio.

Life is about finding balance; it's about being realistically optimistic and seizing the opportunities that come our way, no matter how large or small.

You never know where a certain path may lead you. Life is a precious gift, and it can literally take you anywhere if you let it. Be grateful for all of the blessings bestowed upon you.

Likewise, true gratitude in life includes recognizing the opportunities that you've had, regardless of whether or not you've been successful. After all, success is a subjective term: It all depends on your overall perspective.

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