This I Believe

Positive Attitude Matters

I believe in approaching life with a positive attitude. It is not always easy to do this, but I feel it is important in order to enjoy each day to its fullest. If I live each day getting upset at the most trivial things, such as thinking I would fail a test, or believing I am going to have a bad day, I would not experience happiness. A poor attitude towards things would affect my life by not allowing me to get the most from every day.

Optimism in my life may be toward big or small things, but it does exist. In my opinion, a positive attitude cannot be artificial or fake, it must be genuine. Otherwise, it emerges as meaningless, and the effect would appear the same. I know from personal experience that I dislike being around people who are negative. If someone constantly complains or acts apathetically, they bring down the mindset of those around them. However, if I am with someone who acts optimistically, I am more likely to share in that same outlook. I will admit that I am not always the most optimistic person, nor do I constantly maintain a bright outlook on everything, but this only makes me realize the importance of having a good attitude. I believe people who are positive and face life this way will motivate, inspire, and encourage. I know this is true from spending ten days at UC Berkeley in California with other high school students, who possessed the same interests in medicine as me. We did not know each other, but everyone was eager to participate and get to know one another. Within a short time, we were friends. My friends’ personalities and attitudes made me even more enthusiastic about being there, motivating and encouraging me to make the most of my time with them. As a result, those ten days turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life, and I still keep in touch with the friends I met.

From my experience, I now believe a person’s attitude can be contagious. One person’s enthusiasm can inspire others to adopt the same willingness and excitement. With just one person’s optimism, I was influenced to act the same. Because of this, I am sure of the importance of a positive attitude. This I believe.