I'm a natural optimist. For example: Last week while drinking some milk out of the container, I spilled it all over myself, the floor, and the dog. I found myself laughing and thinking “Well, I needed to wash this shirt anyway”. I was immediately curious if talking to myself meant I had taken another step towards the asylum, I decided to read more about this type of thing.

“Self-talk is the endless stream of thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you’re likely an optimist.

Researchers currently exploring the effects that optimism and this sort of thinking can have on your health have made some interesting finds. The health benefits optimism may provide are:

* Decreased stress
* Greater resistance to catching the common cold
* A sense of well-being and improved health
* Reduced risk of coronary artery disease
* Improved coping ability for women with high-risk pregnancies
* Living longer
* Better coping skills

It’s unclear why optimists experience these health benefits. But one theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the effects of stress on your body.”

Not everyone accepts or believes in positive thinking. Some consider the subject as just nonsense, and others scoff at people who believe and accept it. Among the people who accept it, not many know how to use it effectively to get results. Yet, it seems that many are becoming attracted to this subject, as evidenced by the many books, lectures and courses about it.

It is quite common to hear people say: “Think positive!”, to someone who feels down and worried. Most people do not take these words seriously, as they don't know what they really mean, or do not consider them as useful and effective. I often hear stories of how people have “treated themselves” with a massage, jewelry, new duds, a night out. I would hope that same treatment could be applied to your interior space with a yoga class, visualization techniques, and general positive thinking.