An optimistic attitude is surely one trait that can help you move forward in life. Keeping the faith that there is always light at the end of the tunnel can brighten even the darkest situation. It can also provide a flicker of hope that can keep you going even amidst tough times. Yet this admirable virtue also has a great chance to be interpreted the wrong way. Sadly, a wrong view of positivity can be toxic and destructive. This is because not knowing the real meaning of being positive can lead to damaging behaviors such as laziness, apathy, and over-dependence. Thus, if you wish to cultivate a positive attitude, here are some things that you should know about:

It is not just about expecting to win.

To be positive largely requires a winner’s mindset. You expect things to be in your favor yet it does not mean that you are not prepared in case things do not go your way. So aside from exerting effort to avoid losing, you go into every battle with eyes wide open that a great result is not always guaranteed. Still, you have the wisdom to understand that win or lose; you need to keep your optimistic attitude.

It does not mean rejecting/hiding anything negative.

Even if you consider yourself an optimist, it does not mean that you have to reject any negative emotion. Likewise, you do not have to avoid negative situations right away. To be positive also means accepting those bad circumstances are part of life so it would not be so helpful to pretend that it does not exist or cannot affect you. So instead of turning away, positive people bravely face negative situations because they are confident about their strengths and abilities. Moreover, their wisdom in knowing how to deal with the negative can help them overcome any unpleasant happenings because they know how to deal with it.

It goes beyond expecting the best.

Positive people look forward to better things but with the full awareness that it takes effort and courage on their part to achieve it. So aside from filling their minds with encouraging thoughts, they also consistently take concrete steps to get what they want. This shows that being positive is an active rather than a passive state because you keep on finding ways to improve your situation. Likewise, you do not entirely resign your life to fate nor excessively rely on the assistance of others.

Do you consider yourself an optimist? Being so is clearly an advantage because various studies prove that it can improve our overall well-being and increase chances of success. Just make sure that you clearly understand what being positive is all about.