We know that positive thinkers tend to be happier. Our state of mind plays such an important role in our physical health as well as our mental well-being. It may be hard to believe, but thinking positive thoughts can have a profound effect on the quality of your life. Here are 5 ways in which positive thinking can help you become happier and healthier.

1. Positive thinkers tend to manage their stress.

Glass-half-full people tend to manage stress better because they see possibilities when encountering obstacles. By having an optimistic outlook, they are able to work out solutions to their problems more effectively than those who may simply give up on their problems.

2. Positive thinkers tend to live longer.

A 2019 study showed that positive thinkers had an 11-15% longer lifespan and a higher possibility of living to the age of 85 or older. This suggests that optimism can be an important factor in promoting longevity.

3. Positive thinkers tend to be healthier.

Even with people who have health issues, those who have an optimistic outlook on life were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or cardiovascular issues than those people who dwelled on the negative.

4. Positive thinkers were more resilient.

People who are more optimistic are more apt to handle a crisis or trauma. Their ability to see options rather than barriers during hard times can help them manage the situation and then overcome the adversity.

5. Positive thinkers tend to have better social lives

You’re getting the idea that thinking positive thoughts can have many benefits to your overall well-being, but your optimism affects others as well. You’ve probably heard the expression negativity breeds negativity. The opposite is true, too. Positivity attracts positivity. People who are optimistic are more likely to have more friends. Those relationships tend to be healthier because optimistic people tend to be more empathetic, loving, and supportive. Happiness is contagious, so optimism not only affects the positive thinker, it influences those they encounter.

During these challenging days, it’s good to know that becoming a positive thinker is not as hard as it seems. It’s a matter of cultivating that good habit.

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
~ Abraham Lincoln

Anne Greene tells a fascinating story about her good friend Marilyn Monroe and the power of thought. In the 1950s, Marilyn lived for a year in a studio apartment on the Upper East Side. She loved to walk all through Manhattan because no one bothered her. In fact, no one even recognized her. One day while walking down Broadway, Marilyn turned to Anne and said, “Do you want me to become her?”
Marilyn changed her attitude and immediately people took notice. Cars slowed down to look at her, and people stopped in their tracks and stared. Everyone immediately recognized that this was Marilyn Monroe as though she had pulled off a mask, even though a second before, no one even noticed her.

Thoughts become things through the Law of Attraction. In other words, what you think about most will show itself in your life whether you’re conscious of it or not. If you dwell on negative things (i.e., how much you hate your job, your money troubles, how nothing in your life is going the way you want), you will bring more of that into your life. On the other hand, if you focus on life’s possibilities (i.e., all the things you’re grateful for, your loving relationships, the beauty of a bright, sunny day), you will bring more good things into your life.

We all have the ability to choose what images we hold in our minds, and in so doing, change the course of our lives for the better. Each day begins as a blank slate with no mistakes and plenty of possibilities. Today, try this experiment: anytime you realize you’re thinking a negative thought, replace it with a positive one. See the silver lining. Find your inner Marilyn Monroe.

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