The legendary American actor-producer Kirk Douglas exhibits an extraordinarily optimistic outlook. Explaining his success, the 96-year-old father of Oscar winning actor-producer Michael Douglas once said, “I tell my sons they didn’t have my advantages growing up; I came from abject poverty. There was nowhere to go but up.”
This is exactly the mindset that makes for consistent success. When things look bleak, when we find ourselves in a valley, we have to remind ourselves that life is a package deal—the highs come together with the lows.
Many people think of optimism as nothing more that a positive attitude, in which we ignore the undesirable circumstances and indulge in wishful thinking. However, authentic optimism is grounded in reality. It’s a mindset that looks at life as it is—its challenges and difficulties—and then proceeds to make the most of it.
India, along with the rest of the world, is going through a period of great social, political and economic uncertainty. In keeping with the mood of the nation, we chose optimism as the theme of our 7th anniversary issue.
Written by internationally celebrated author and psychologist Dr Terry Paulson, PhD, the cover story will help you master a few simple but powerful truths that have the potential to change your life. Using his experience of over 30 years in conducting programmes on optimism and change, Dr Paulson helps us understand the essence of an optimistic mindset, as he shares practical suggestions to imbibe it into our lives.
This is the month of Diwali, the festival of lights. This is also our anniversary month. That is why I believe that this issue is timed perfectly—to uplift your mood, and light up your life. I leave you with Victor Hugo’s beautiful message in Les Misérables: “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
Happy Diwali!
Read the full story here.