Baby, you may have been born this way. But that doesn’t mean you can’t encourage positive thinking and start to see things in a brighter way. Find out how top happiness gurus filter out negative junk. Spoiler: You can do this too!

“I tend to look at the glass half empty. Can’t help it, I was just born that way.” Sound familiar?

So maybe you were born with a less than rosy outlook on life. Sometimes being a pessimist comes in handy. Say, when you are sizing someone up for a job or trying to make a big decision.

That said, let’s not let the neggies get in the way of some good living. Even if you don’t tend toward pessimism, we all battle negative thoughts from time to time. Yes, even those high spirited, ultra-balanced health and lifestyle gurus whose stuff you read.

How do these seemingly always joyful people do it? They put regular effort into filtering out the negative crap that life hands us. Sure, there will always be tough spots in life to deal with. But we don’t need to go looking for them.

There is a stream of not-so-feel-good material you can hook into pretty much anytime of the day. Doubt it? Just hop on Facebook for a sec and see if you don’t come across something that gives you a little bit of ick factor. Seriously, I’ll wait…

How long did it take before you saw pics of a public figure doing something cringe-worthy? Or an acquaintance whose feed full of vigorous workouts, perfect home, and sky high achieving kids made you feel like making over your entire existence? Yep, thought so.

Not long ago, I was watching one of Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday episodes and she happened to mention that she asks her driver to shut off the radio when on her way to an interview or speaking engagement. As someone who has shunned news outlets for years now, my interest was piqued.

Oprah says she requests the quiet so that no news, music, or banter fills her head. She wants her own intentional thoughts filling her noggin, rather than a bunch of garbage she is involuntarily absorbing.

Our society loves news. It is available pretty much anytime, anywhere, and most of us eat it up. Have you noticed how the news networks relentlessly cover scary, sad, or bad news in graphic detail, when news about people helping others or somehow making a positive dent in this world of ours takes a backseat? It’s because people want to see the blood and guts, not the happy faces.

As screwed up as this seems, it is likely not changing anytime soon. What can change? Whether or not we take part.

And it is not just the scary and gory that messes with our positive thinking. Remember that FB friend we talked about? The one with the seemingly perfect life that makes you feel like you are doing it all wrong? That is also a form of allowing garbage to fill our heads.

Marie Forleo, business and lifestyle guru, calls this compare-schlager. As in, it is as toxic to the system and makes us feel just as bad as a Goldschlager (substitute Jagermeister, tequila, Fireball) binge did in college. Forleo goes on to call this inundation of feel bad info the “Hamburglar of Happiness”, and advises avoiding any social media, magazines, TV, etc. that makes you feel grossed out.

If thinking about all of this makes you feel even more stressed and negative, here’s good news. It is well within your control to not allow this junk into your life. If this means turning off the news and flipping on some HGTV, do it. If HGTV gives you house envy, turn on AMC or, even better, get some fresh air. Limit your exposure to Facebook or give it a break altogether.

The key here is this: Whatever it is that is making you feel bad, stop doing that and positive thinking will follow. I like Instagram because the pictures are pretty and most of the content is upbeat. Same with Pinterest. Find what makes you feel good and get more of that in your life. This not only gets the unconstructive stuff out of your head, but allows you more time and space to think about things that matter and will do you some actual good.

Hey, if it’s good enough for Oprah and Marie, it probably works for the rest of us.

Related on EcoSalon:

Remembering ‪Dr. Wayne Dyer‬ With Positive Thinking [Video]‬

5 Reasons to Stop Negative Thinking: Are You Making Life More Difficult than It Needs to Be?

Feeling Lonely? Blame Your 2,453 Facebook Friends [Video]

Image of Oprah Winfrey via Shutterstock

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We are all born with a unique temperament. Most of us naturally sway toward either positive thinking or negative thinking. Which state you spend most of your time in can affect your life. And your health.

Studies have shown that your thoughts, and whether they are optimistic or pessimistic, affect your health and well being. Are you a glass half empty kind of person by nature? The good news…you can change that negative way of thinking and learn to be more positive.

Positive mental attitude, or PMA, is shown to hold mega health benefits. It reduces stress, boosts immunity, reduces risk of heart disease, lowers chance of depression, improves coping skills, and could even increase your life span. How about that for a list of kudos?

For those who veer toward the positive end of the spectrum this is good news. By making a few adjustments to their thoughts and retraining their frame of mind, those who tend to look at things in a more negative light can also reap these amazing advantages.

First, let’s get something straight. Developing PMA does not mean you hide out in denial. Not even the most sunny amongst us are positive all the time. We are not talking constantly upbeat and happy, happy, happy. It’s more about perception and expecting a good outcome. That is the real goal here. Difficulties and annoyances are going to come up in life. It is how you deal with them that is important.

A study on the effects of positive thinking on heart patients shows that an upbeat outlook is essential in improving long term health. Those with a more optimistic attitude tend to have more energy and confidence, which means they are more apt to eat right, exercise and take care of themselves in general.

But can positive thoughts help you in ways other than motivating you toward a healthy lifestyle? Experts say they can. The placebo effect has proven it is so. While it may be largely up to the individual, an average of 30 percent of people who are given a placebo by a doctor in studies report a positive response to the “medication”. Of course, a sugar pill cannot do anything to you physically. It is the mind telling you that you feel better. However, we cannot placebo ourselves. If we give ourselves a sugar pill we are on to it. It does not have the same effect as when delivered by a doctor.

Still, this mind body connection is hard to deny. Many experts, like Deepak Chopra, believe the mind has the power to heal. Chopra advises relaxing the mind to a more peaceful state, rather than constantly trying to think positive thoughts. He advocates meditation as a great way to calm the mind and gain focus.

Positive thinking is a powerful tool in prevention of disease. It also helps you to enjoy the moment, take things as they come, and set desired results in motion.

Of course, there are skeptics. Some professionals believe there is no significant health benefit to a positive outlook. This is something you will have to decide for yourself. Either way, it certainly feels better to enlist a little PMA.

Related on EcoSalon

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Image by Omarukal at Flickr.com, cc

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A round-up of what we’re reading right now. 

We might be able to grow tropical fruits in urban northern climates after all. And make it look good. Say hello to bananas in Paris. [Via GOOD]

You can accomplish a lot simply by being more optimistic. [Via Inc.]

Summer camp isn’t all kayaking and making lanyards. From culinary arts to military training, check out these interesting camps around the world. [Via TakePart]

Another reason to take time to unplug: exposure to dim light (i.e. your computer and television) at night may lead to depression. [Via CNN]

Ever thought about launching a food truck? First you will need a name. Don’t worry, there’s a generator for that. [Via McSweeney’s]

Americans wash their hair almost twice as much as Europeans in a week. How much is too much? [Via Organic Authority]

Choose your reading list carefully, because your bookshelf can say a lot to a potential partner. [Via How About We]

Image: twicepix

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Optimistic cities are filled with better neighbors, community members and friends. We’re packing our bags.

What is an optimist? A half-full type, a go-getter, a positive thinker. They usually live longer, especially women, and generally have a smash-up, good time of it. Optimists are magnetic and successful types who emanate a kind of luminous juju, to borrow from Danielle LaPorte’s Manifesto of Encouragement, a juju that is physically tenable and accessible.

Now, imagine looping all that optimistic energy into one centralized metropolis. Shazam! That was the sound of your personal happiness index shooting through the roof.

Such places really do exist, albeit changing from decade to decade or from one political tide to another. Here are 10 of today’s most optimistic American cities, sourced from Gallup’s Well-Being Index, which is based on life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and access to basic necessities.

#1. Orem, Utah
According to Christian D. Larson’s Optimist Creed, an optimist is so strong that nothing can disturb her peace of mind.

#2. Austin, Texas
She also talks about health, happiness and prosperity with every person she meets.

#3. Huntsville, Alabama
She makes all her friends feel that there is something special in them.

#4. Mission, Texas
She looks at the sunny side of everything, everywhere.

#5. Raleigh, North Carolina
She thinks of, works for and expects only the best in life.

#6. Kennewick, Washington
She’s as enthusiastic about your success as she is her own.

#7. Amarillo, Texas
Ms. Optimist forgets the mistakes of the past and presses on to the greater achievements of the future.

#8. Lincoln, Nebraska
She wears a cheerful countenance and gives every living creature she meets a smile, dogs and cats included.

#9. Fort Collins, Colorado
She gives so much time to the improvement of herself that she doesn’t have the time to criticize others.

#10. Little Rock, Arkansas
She’s “too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.”

Are you an optimist? If so, tell us about the magnetic pull where you live.

Images: IraGelb; Cherice; Visualist Images; Thermodynamix; Shainelee; Jeanette Runyon; Scott Butner; Jacqueline Poggi; O’BrienDigital; Yann Ropars; clay.wells

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After days spent racking my brain to choose nine things you don’t need to be happy, now I can’t keep more from surfacing. If this list keeps growing, it might mean that happiness is attainable without anything at all. What a concept!

But just for fun, let’s continue counting. Here are 9 more things you don’t need to be happy. Really.

1. Optimism. There’s nothing more annoying than all the self-help mumbo jumbo that preaches “think positive” – and implies (explicitly or not) that by doing so, you will get what you want. This theory leaves us in the lurch and in fear of having even a speck of a negative thought. The universe is not directing the traffic of our lives according to our thoughts. We earth folk, although blessed with free will, are not more powerful than the randomness of life.

This is good news. If you happen to be a cynic or wake up on the wrong side of the bed once in a while, don’t fret. Having a positive outlook 24/7 is not required for happiness.

2. Caffeine. I’m actually sitting in Starbucks as I type this and it’s occurred to me that I could be a lot happier if there were fewer coffee shops serving rocket fuel to every human on the planet. Fewer Starbucks means fewer caffeinated people – and no landfill droves of millions of paper cups.

I was perfectly content for the six months I gave up coffee. Life was fine. But I can tell you this. The moment I took my first sip of a non-fat triple shot cappuccino after those six months, I was indeed rocketed into another dimension. I don’t need caffeine, but I like it. So there. Just don’t make me go to Coffee Bean. That’s where I draw the line.

3. God. Religion and anything related is a topic fraught with tension, but we shouldn’t ignore the obvious, which is that many people all over the world live life happily and successfully without worshiping or praying to any being. Organized religion is not the only road to salvation. Why is it that only the non-religious realize this?

4. Intelligence. I adamantly agree that women can be both smart and pretty, but if for some reason I had to choose, I think today I’d prefer pretty. Why? Because it gets tiring being smart. And I’m exhausted!

Most days I can’t watch the news, much less have an intelligent conversation about current events. Between the stock market, natural disasters, unstable psychopaths wreaking havoc on innocent people, world hunger, violence against women – I’m upset too often. What’s so horrible about a slight dose of ignorance? Call me stupid, but sometimes I’d prefer to be stupid.

5. Crystal Ball. The less I know about the future, the better. It used to be that I was riddled with fear if I couldn’t see how it all turned out; whether you’d stay or go, love me or leave me. So I would leave you first or better yet, never stay in the first place, because not knowing how and when it would end was too scary. Today I’m a different creature. I find comfort in the unknown and practice letting the future alone and being present for love and my life today.

6. Chanel handbag. Oops, how did this one get in here? I mean, really. No one needs a Chanel bag, period. And to be completely candid, I once purchased such a bag. It was at a time when my work was very lucrative and I thought (or hoped) a sophisticated, exquisitely made black bag would satisfy a deep yearning within me.

This morning I caught a glance of that particular Chanel hanging in my closet. Did it make me happy? When I first bought it, yes for about five minutes, but now…not so much. Actually, it makes me a little bit annoyed.

7. Resolved “issues“. I have no qualms telling you I go to therapy once a week. I’m one of those humans that grew up crooked and needed a little correcting. So be it. In fact, I think more people should be in therapy, especially married people.

Yes, a weekly appointment on my calendar means there is unfinished business, more “stuff” yet to come up and discuss. I continue to dig, deeper and wider and with more gusto. Why? Because the more I uncover, confront, grieve, accept, release, the better and happier I become. Everything need not be packaged up perfectly in a box with a bow, stored away in the basement in order for one to feel relief and some semblance of happiness.

8. Approval. We can’t control what other people think of us. People who don’t know you well will have perceptions and come to their own conclusions. The important thing is not to change yourself in order to get someone to like you. The key is not to care if they like you or not.

Of course, it would be ideal if everyone everywhere liked you, but if you love yourself and just one other person thinks you’re awesome, then you are. Quit trying to gain the adoration of people who don’t matter, and focus on the ones that do.

9. A reason. Did you predict we would end up here? If so, you win. It took me 17 reasons to realize 1) one might be happy and not care why or 2) one isn’t happy (or is) but doesn’t particularly appreciate someone feeding them reasons how or why or when one could or should be. Therefore, my last reason is a reason. It is possible to be happy for no reason at all.

So there, I said it. Now go and be happy, just because.

Image: con Costanza

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Are Americans optimistic about the environment, ignorant or just plain lazy? Are they fatigued from all the “green” messaging and cause marketing out there? Or are they just complacent? A recent Gallup poll has shown that “over time, Americans’ concerns about environmental problems have generally declined.”

That’s hard to believe when there’s more environmental damage caused by Americans and more news about this available to us than ever before.

Just this week, ships are avoiding their normal cargo routes so that they can keep burning dirty fuel and skirt new air pollution laws around California.

And across the country, residents in the watershed areas of Skaneateles and Otisco lakes in New York are fighting a bill that would permit “hydrofracking” – a natural gas mining method that’s destructive to ecosystems and freshwater – on their private lands.

These examples are both driven by economic concerns. The shippers don’t want to pay fines or spend money on improved rigs. New York’s cash-starved state government is considering a bill that will bring taxpayer dollars to the state, with mining jobs and corporate real estate deals to replace low profit farms that are on some of that private property now.

Making matters worse, state budgets for environmental programs have been slashed, so even government agencies are holding out a tin cup or soliciting donations to support their good green work. In Atlanta, the House just passed a bill that would allow their own Department of Natural Resources to conduct fundraising through a non-profit to make up for a smaller slice of the taxpayer money pie.

At least defense budgets are also feeling the pinch.

If a 20-year low in levels of environmental concern wasn’t totally caused by money problems, Gallup suggested optimism may be to blame; Americans believe the environment is improving.

Basic Reading:

“Global warming concerns have ebbed and flowed, dipping to the lowest point since 1997. They’ve fallen precipitously since 2007, from 41% who worry ‘a great deal’ to 28%. Of eight [key environmental] issues, Americans now worry the least about global warming and the most about drinking-water pollution, which has often been a top concern.” – via USA Today

“Thanks in large part to partisan bickering and scandals such as Snowpocalypse and ClimateGate, confusion over global warming has reached a fevered pitch. At the same time, the economic slump is swallowing the public’s attention. What we may be witnessing is an endemic shift in prioritization, which raises the question: What, if anything, can instill a renewed sense of purpose?” – Mother Jones

“Climate hasn’t yet become as partisan an issue as, say, health care and taxes. But it’s getting there.” – How Republicans Learned to Reject Climate Change via NPR

Further Resources:

A debate over cause marketing fatigue – how many messages will consumers care about? – AdAge

“‘Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations.’ Jean Paul Richter. It seems that we humans are caught in the crushing curl of our own giant wave of trash. A long, sad and glorious tradition of using and dumping that spans the entirety of our time on earth…” – SuperEco.com

Ohio air quality officials complain the EPA is “trying to make us do too much too quickly,” on cutting smog – Cleveland.com

Are American Students Lazy? – InsideHigherEd.com

According to an EPA report, our air is getting cleaner relative to population growth and gross domestic product increases.

Image: rolands.lakis

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