Lottery Optimism
Lottery players are, in one way, some of the most optimistic people in the world. Heck, we have to be - the odds of us winning a jackpot are incredibly small. We have a 1 in 13,983,816 chance of winning the top prize in the UK Lotto game and just a 1 in 76,275,360 chance of winning the Euromillions jackpot. To keep buying tickets week after week in the hope or expectation that we can beat these kinds of odds is incredibly optimistic by any standards.
But lottery players don't tend to be quite so optimistic in other areas of their lives, and this is a shame because optimism is actually very beneficial. Martin Seligman, PhD., and the author of Authentic Happiness, found that individuals who practice optimise generally have better health, longer lives, are more successful in their careers (whether academic or occupational), have more satisfying relationships and are usually happier than those who don't practice optimism.
And yes, you should note that I said "practice" optimism. This is because optimism is not some innate talent we are born with. Rather, it is a skill that anyone can learn and get really good at.
Developing optimism involves re-framing your experiences and minimising the negative aspect as well as putting a positive spin on everything else. For example, if your boss asks you to work late to help finish an important project, instead of thinking, "For free? Is she kidding?" and dwelling on the fact that you'll miss your favourite television show, you could think, "Hey, if I do this really well it could help me to get that promotion/pay rise I deserve..." and call your spouse to record the TV show for viewing at a more convenient time.
Thinking optimistically might feel a little fake in the beginning, but that's only because you aren't used to it. The more you practice thinking positively, the easier it gets. You know this from experience. If you don't win a lottery game you don't think about throwing in the towel. Instead you put a positive spin on things and tell yourself, "Well, there's always next week..." and this allows you to keep going after the dream (if not your Dream Number!) with a smile on your face.
Learn to develop optimism in all the other areas of your life and you'll put yourself in a no-lose situation where there's always something good to focus on. Thinking positively won't increase your chances of winning the lottery one iota, but it will could well increase your chances of hitting the jackpot in other areas of your life.
Article Last Updated: 15/05/2007 13:51:16
