Quick answer is we’re very optimistic! Thank you for your wonderful response to our Optimism Survey in February.
When I sent out requests to take the survey I was hoping for 100 responses – but within a week we had more than 600 responses. Just reading the responses made my heart smile.
Here are some of the response highlights:
- 85% of you say you are optimistic
- 87% said others consider you optimistic
- 96% said more people need to be optimists
- 91% said you need optimism boosters
Your responses to our questions were both candid and heartfelt. Click here if you’d like to read the complete survey – it’s an optimism booster all by itself.
Just to give you a quick sample here are some of the comments:
How Do You Define Optimism?
One respondent answered, “Knowing, internally, that when things are wrong in your world, it’s only temporary. Life is all about change, shifts, and continually re-defining wants, needs, and so on.” Another said, “Optimism is choosing to define how you view your respective reality.” And last, one respondent simply said, “It’s the ability to see the positive when things go wrong, a willingness to take chances, a love for life.”
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your views of optimism or what you’d like to know about optimism?
One person said, “It affects ALL aspects of your life…to live fully and in a healthy manner.” Another said, “I want people to remember that what they say is very powerful. Speaking negatively not only reinforces your own sense of helplessness and lack of control, but also influences others to become pessimistic and negative. Conversely, positive speech can influence others to have an increased sense of positivity and optimism.”
What causes you to feel un-optimistic?
Most of the responses illustrated that outside influences, not an internal struggle, affected people the most. Of the 567 answers, world events, negative and toxic people, illness, work stress, and financial difficulties were among the most common events that lead to feeling un-optimistic.
After reading all of the responses to this survey a few times, I realized that we aren’t taking advantage of our of our best optimism boosters … each other. So for the next few weeks my blog posts will ask questions to help Secret Society of Happy People members get to know each other better.
I’m blessed to interact with many of you on social media and in emails, and it would be wonderful for you to meet each other, too. If you respond to all of the questions, you will get a gift from me … and I really want to give out a lot of gifts.
Each of you that’s part of the Society is special because this survey proved what I already know, “You are each seeking to recognize your happy moments even when you have to look a little harder to find them. You’re optimistic or optimism seekers.”
31 Types of Happiness
We also have the 31 Types of Happiness to help recognize more happiness too – if you haven’t taken your happiness inventory lately there’s no better time than right now.
While the experience of happiness is unique for everyone depending on their moment, the feeling of happiness, no matter the type is something we all aspire to feel because life’s just more fun when we’re happy.
[Tweet “#Happiness is something we all aspire to feel because life’s just more fun when we’re #happy http://bit.ly/1i1mjQ0 @AskPamelaGail”]
Written by Pamela Gail
Pamela Gail Johnson founded the Society of Happy People in 1998.
The Society is grounded on Pamela’s four key Practical Happiness Principles:
Pamela identified 31 Types of Happiness that are on the SOHP App Happiness Counter to make it easier to recognize moments of happiness.
Pamela also plans and organizes the Society of Happy People's annual happiness celebrations:
She's also a speaker, trainer, and author.
A few of her personal smile starters include her monthly book club, yoga, traveling and meeting new happy people.
I’m optimistic! Glad to know that so many other folks are, too. Thanks very much for gathering and sharing this data.
I was the founding president of an Optimist Club in Atlanta back in the 1990s. That is a great place to share optimistm.