People have difficulty accepting change. However, it’s the one aspect of life we know will happen. Change is going to happen whether we like it or not. If you don’t do well with change, you should reverse your aversion to it.

Think of it this way. Perhaps you haven’t yet found your purpose because you have resisted change. That is a common affliction with many people. They simply refuse to accept that something different is happening in their lives.

The good news is people adapt with relative ease. After a while, you’ll have no choice but to accept most of the changes that happen in your life. People close to you will move on (one way or another). You will go through stages of life. In the end, you will cherish the memories that you have.

There are unintended consequences in most changes that occur for you. For instance, your current boss may leave the company, and a new one is going to replace them. You enjoyed working for the old boss and are dreading the new one. He or she could be someone you don’t like. Then again, the situation could now be beneficial to you. Perhaps you and the new boss think along similar lines, more so than your old boss.

You will need to deal with changes in your personal life, too. Your kids are going to move out of your house eventually. You may have to one day take care of your parents, and so on. When you are young and first starting out on your own, you don’t think of these situations.

The most significant benefit of any change is that it may be just what is needed to find your purpose. If you are used to the same routine, and it doesn’t seem right for you, changes may give you the boost and desire to find something that is right for you.

You should try to expose yourself to change more often. Some changes you cannot plan. However, there are many that you can. For instance, you can try to take an opposing point of view that you would never dare to in the past. If you favor a political party, speak with people from the opposite party. Try to keep an open mind when doing this. Ask them how they chose that point of view.

By exposing yourself to change, you will become better at accepting it. When this happens, you may be closer to discovering who you are and what is your purpose.

Do you know how to find your purpose? If you posed that question to several people, the majority would likely answer no. It’s because there is a world of possibilities. People are afraid to try something new out of fear of the unknown. They often don’t know how to go about looking for what they should be doing.

You need first to ask if what you are doing now is satisfying. Put aside the bills and your paycheck for a moment. Do you get a charge out of getting up every morning to go to work? How do you feel on Sunday evenings, assuming you start up work on Mondays? Do you dread having to get up in the morning on Monday, or does it excite you?

Another problem is you may feel stuck doing something in which you don’t believe. Suppose you work for a company that isn’t doing right by the community. It may be legal, but you don’t feel it’s ethical. It pays well, and that is why you stick with it. You even like many of the people who work there. However, the company sells something that makes your stomach turn. An example of this could be working for a tobacco company. You need to ask yourself if you can continue to work in an environment which doesn’t fit well with you.

You will also need to ask yourself what will it take to make changes to get out of your current situation and into something you enjoy. It may require going back to school or at least, training online. Luckily, there are several options available, and many of them are cheap or free.

If you find that the path is well laid out, ask yourself are you’re willing to put in the time and make an effort? If not, you haven’t truly found your purpose. You either need to continue what you are doing or find another path. Keep doing this until you are willing to put forth the effort.

You should explore your current situation and determine if you can change up your routine. For instance, ask your company if there are other opportunities within the organization that you can explore. If there are, they may ask you to serve two roles (your old position and your new one) while transitioning. Working like this could require putting in overtime, etc. But, it gives you some options to explore your purpose.

Optimism is a learned skill like any other skill or habit you want to develop. Having an optimistic attitude of yourself, of life and the world can have a huge impact on your mental wellbeing and resilience, even boosting your immune system and lowering your blood pressure. Studies have shown that optimists have better career prospects and live longer happier lives.

Here are five tips for developing a more optimistic view of the world.

1. Identify as an optimist

Self-talk is powerful! Start telling people you’re an optimist, and you’ll soon begin to believe it, and forget you were ever even slightly pessimistic.

2. Accentuate the positives

Notice and acknowledge the positive things around you. Small things like having good food, clean water, and being able to read this article for example. A good exercise is to list ten things you’re grateful for every day – they don’t have to be big things, jot down whatever comes to mind.

3. Stop comparing

No good comes from comparing yourself to others. There will always be someone who is richer, thinner, more successful than you at any one time, and their success or luck isn’t connected to you at all. Don’t be tempted to lock yourself into a small, comfortless cell of jealousy. Instead think that if they can do it, so can you. Think abundance (there’s more than enough for everybody) instead of scarcity (if they’re successful then you can’t be).

4. Shift your focus

Optimism is dynamic and forward-looking. Develop a more optimistic outlook by moving on from the past and instead enjoy the present and actively look forward to the future. Optimists also don’t spend much time dwelling on whatever not-so-good things are in their lives. They acknowledge that bad things happen to everyone, and when bad things do happen, it’s not necessarily their fault. Bad times come, and bad times go, and good times usually happen just as often.

5. Don’t get hung up on one outcome

Putting all your eggs in one basket is risky, and it’s highly likely you will be disappointed. It’s also harder to pick up and move on if things don’t work out. An optimist will be flexible about outcomes and see that there are lots of different possibilities. If this one didn’t work, another maybe even better opportunity will come along.

Optimism and pessimism are not hard-wired into people. They are qualities you can change. You can choose to develop a more positive outlook on life and find that you’ll have a happier, healthier, better life!

There is increasing evidence that being optimistic about life has measurable benefits, not just for your mental health, but your physical well-being too. Scientific studies have shown that as you become more optimistic, your life will improve in all sorts of ways. You’re even likely to have a longer life, just from being more hopeful and positive.

Among the many benefits of being optimistic are:

1. Optimists are healthier

Optimists not only rate their own health and wellbeing as better, but studies have also shown that optimists have better mental and physical health than pessimists. In a study of the effects of positive psychological well-being, optimism was found to be the biggest predictor of improved heart health. Optimists also have lower blood pressure and cholesterol and a lower risk of developing heart disease.

2. Optimists live longer

A study by the University of Pittsburgh found that of the 100,000 women studied over eight years, optimists were less likely to die from any cause than women with a more pessimistic outlook. That was confirmed by a later Harvard study that showed the women who had a positive outlook had a much lower risk (nearly 30% less) of dying from serious illnesses.

3. Optimists are happier

It might seem obvious that an optimist would be happier than a pessimist. But, it has been shown that optimists are not just sunnier in their dispositions, but they are measurably happier in their relationships, jobs, and life in general. They deal better with stress, are more resilient in bad times, and produce less cortisol, the stress hormone that leads to inflammation and a lowered immune system.

4. Optimists have smoother career paths

Researchers from Duke University found that the optimistic MBA graduates they studied were more likely to find a job, earn a higher starting salary, and have more frequent promotions than the pessimists in the group. Optimists also deal better with negative feedback, seeing it as an opportunity to improve and increase their chance of promotion in the future.

5. Optimists roll with the punches

Life’s adversities do not crush an optimist; they remain hopeful about the future. Optimism helps you deal with whatever limiting beliefs you have developed and shows you a way out. Being positive about life’s possibilities means you focus on what you can do. It boosts your confidence and makes you more likely to look for constructive solutions. It stops you feeling stuck or at the mercy of other people. If you’re optimistic, you know you can do it!

If you ask several people what qualities leaders should possess, would they all come up with the same list? It’s likely they would come up with similar lists but would deviate on a few of the items. It’s likely the more people you ask, the closer the list will approach the averages.

Some responses will arise from perceptions of people being polled. If you believe that all leaders possess high intelligence, in your past you observed leaders who exhibited above-average intelligence. Others may have observed different attributes.

One attribute that is likely to go on many peoples’ list is integrity. We want leaders who won’t try to cover up problems or won’t try to blame others for their failures. They take responsibility and earn the trust of their followers. And yet, leaders are constantly being profiled in the news as corrupt or in some trouble with the law.

Leaders are also thought to possess enthusiasm. You’ll hear terms such as eternal optimists associated with great leaders. While this may be true, does this mean that all people who are optimistic are leaders? Have there ever been leaders who were not overly optimistic and had a reason not to exhibit this trait?

Communication is probably one trait that will get on everybody’s list for leadership. After all, if a leader cannot communicate, the team dynamic falters. Everyone will look to the leader to set the stage for communication. If he or she is incapable of being effective in this area, people won’t know what to do, or they will find a new leader who can communicate well. It doesn’t seem likely that leaders can survive without being good communicators.

You probably would include confidence as an attribute that you’d want to see in a leader. While it’s possible for leaders to lack that confidence, it’s not likely their followers will stick with them if they don’t. People need a confident captain to steer the ship in the right direction. They need someone who can alter course in case a storm hits. Only confident leaders will be capable of this.

Many people may include charisma as part of the list of traits for leadership. However, historians widely believe Adolph Hitler had charisma and was the primary method used to take over Germany. He was responsible for many atrocities during that period. While charisma may be a trait that some leaders possess, unfortunately, it doesn’t always lead to positive outcomes.

Let’s talk about confidence. More specifically let’s take a look at why it’s important that you’re confident in your decision making. When you’re confident, it’s not only easier to make decisions, it’s also easier to implement them going forward. You’re not worried or scared that you made the wrong choice. You’re not constantly second-guessing yourself. Instead, you’re focused on implementing and making progress. That’s a great thing and not the only reason why it’s important that you become confident in your decisions. Here are a few more.

When You’re Confident, You Make Decisions Faster

When you have confidence in yourself and your decision-making ability, you tend to make decisions a lot faster. Since we are required to make more decisions than ever before on a daily basis in this information age, this has become an important skill. The average person in a leadership position makes close to 100 fairly important decisions a day. That’s a lot, and the faster you can make them, the quicker your team can get to work, and you can move on to everything else in your busy day (or the next important decision). It’s no wonder that fast decision- making skills are high on the priority list when it comes to hiring and promotions.

When You’re Confident, You Make Better Decisions

Confidence comes from experience and being well informed. It’s no wonder then that we make better decisions when we’re confident. As a bonus, we’re less swayed by the opinions of others and don’t second guess ourselves. We don’t end up choosing an option for the sake of gaining approval from others or causing less stir in our team or the company.

Instead, confidence gives us focus. We can look at the facts, weigh up potential outcomes based on experience and come up with the best objective decision.

When You’re Confident, Others Are More Likely To Trust In Your Choices

Last but not least, let’s talk about perception. When you’re in a leadership position, you need others to trust in the decisions you’re making. Being confident in your choices starts to establish that trust. Others won’t second guess your choice or grumble about what you’re asking them to do. Instead, they trust in you and your decision. That will help greatly when it comes time to implement your choices.