Throughout our lives, we’ve all heard a variety of phrases touting the “power of positive thinking” or a “glass is half full” mentality. They’re common ideas that are often expressed more by force of habit rather than as sincere advice these days. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth behind them.

Several years back, a Dutch university did a study on the power of optimism. In the study, nearly 1000 men and women were asked a series of questions that gauged the level of optimism in their lives. After years of following the participants, the death rates of men who showed the highest levels of optimism according to the survey were 63% lower than those who were less optimistic, and 35% lower for optimistic women.

These results lend credibility to the idea that success and failure often hinges on your state of mind. It’s definitely not a foreign concept. Most people would agree to some extent that if you put positive energy out, you’ll receive positive energy in return. Take Rhonda Byrne’s book “The Secret” for example – though it’s often criticized and parodied; it hits on that “positive thinking” sweet spot and has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide. So, there’s definitely some support in the basic idea – how it’s interpreted, however, is up to the individual.

Henry Ford put it most succinctly:

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

Are you an optimist? How do you inspire positive thinking among your employees? What tricks do you have to ensure the glass is always half full? Let us know in the comments section below. Read More→