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GurumukhiLanguageMY ADDRESSA Poem by Amrita PritamPUNJABI POEMS OF AMRITA PRITAMin Gurumukhi, Hindi, Roman and EnglishNurture positive thinking ifyou’re a glass-half-empty kind ofperson. A recent study publishedin Psychological Science found thatthose with more optimistic attitudeshad better-functioning immunesystems which, in turn, helped themward off illnesses. Yet far too many ofus assume that optimism is an inborntrait bestowed on a lucky few. That’sa completely wrong assumption,people can learn to be optimists.1. Reframe those “disasters.” Afterrecently witnessing a round of layoffsat my office, I felt panicked that I’dsoon be facing the loss of my own“dream job.” I need to disabusemyself of the notion that there’s onlyone job for me. You may think thatif you lose your job you may neverfind another that’s as fulfilling, butthat’s probably not the case. Whileyou shouldn’t deny that your currentposition might not last forever, youalso need to acknowledge that therewill probably be other professionalopportunities that, after a period ofadjustment, could potentially be aschallenging and satisfying.2. Take control. Pessimists tend tothink bad things happen to thembecause they simply have bad luckor because they don’t have whatit takes to be successful, whena bad economy or an unfaithfulpartner could really be the reasonfor getting laid off or dumped. It isrecommended- aiming for a balancebetween accepting responsibilityfor some of the bad circumstancesand taking action (i.e.,looking for another job orposting an ad on a datingsite). Allow yourself toacknowledge those thingsthat were beyond yourcontrol.3. Pay attention towhat makes you feeloptimistic. Do you feelmore positive when thecollective mood is positive? TheBecome an Optimistflowers are bright, the neighbors lookhappy, the dog’s tail is wagging. Try toreally tune in to what you’re thinkingand feeling in the moment. “If you’refeeling good, try to understand whatbrought you there and how to get thereagain.” You can also try to bank thosepositive feelings to draw on whenyou’re feeling the darkness creepin-like in the dead of winter whenyou’re shoveling your fifth round ofsnow. “Remind yourself that winter istransient, that in just a short amount oftime the flowers will be blooming.”4. Strive for real conversations. Whilemaking small talk is good for fosteringsocial connections, having substantiveinteractions actually gives people agreater sense of well being. Theremay not be time each morning to havedeep philosophical conversations butreaching out to a close friend or spousecan go a long way towards fosteringoptimism. Married couples headed fordivorce often find themselves able totalk about only trivial things like TVshows or a termite problem. “The goalof couple’s therapy is not just to getpeople talking again but talking aboutthings that really matter.”5. Do look at that glass as half full.Cultivating optimism is about breakingold thought patterns and establishingnew ones. If you’re truly looking at aglass that’s filled to the halfway mark,why not see it as half full? Choosing tofocus on those “half-full” things mighthelp you to realize that you don’t needyour cup to run over in order to feeloptimistic.Article contributed by Mr. Amrit LalKansal – right side of photo3