Optimism. A choice and continuous development

Although genetics may influence a person's temperamental tendencies, optimism is not an immutable trait or a fixed state that one is simply born with or not born with.

Rather, it is considered an attitude, a way of interpreting the world and, crucially, a conscious decision that can be cultivated and strengthened over time.

It is a process of learning and personal development, not a predetermined destiny.

Optimism as a Conscious Decision

The ability to be optimistic lies largely in personal choice.

Faced with various situations in life, both positive and negative, each individual has the power to decide whether to adopt a hopeful and constructive perspective or a more pessimistic and limiting one.

This choice is manifested in the way thoughts are processed and emotions are managed in the face of events.

For example, when faced with a problem, one may decide to think that the causes are internal and unchangeable, that bad events will last forever and that they will affect all aspects of life, leading to inaction.

Or, on the contrary, one can consciously choose to adopt a more positive explanatory style, considering that problems are temporary, that they can be managed and that they do not have to condition one's entire existence.

A Process of Cultivation and Development

Optimism, like any character strength, is developed and strengthened with deliberate practice.

It is not a state that is achieved overnight. It is the result of a continuous effort to maintain a positive attitude and a constructive explanatory style.

It requires becoming aware of one's own thought patterns, especially those that are pessimistic or defeatist, and actively working to reorient them toward a more hopeful outlook.

This process may involve learning to identify the causes of problems more realistically, to view setbacks as learning opportunities, and to focus on solutions rather than obstacles.

It is a path that is traveled throughout life, where each experience, well managed, can contribute to strengthen this valuable quality.

Positive psychology, in this sense, does not offer an arrival at a "place" of perpetual optimism.

But tools to travel the "road" of life with a more optimistic disposition.